How do I raise the level of a room?

[AnneM]

I’d like some advice on how to raise the level of our living room. Our living room is currently carpeted, while the rest of our house is tiled so when we rip up the carpet it’s 14mm lower than the rest of the house. We want to do the whole house in hybrid floorboard so need to level the living room. 

we would love some advice on what we should do.

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @AnneM. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about levelling floors.

Laying STRUCTApanel 12mm 2400 x 1200mm H2 Non-Structural Panelling would raise the floor 12mm. That would allow you to use a transition cover strip. Since it's only a 2mm difference, you could use packers under the particle board at the transition and not use a cover strip. I recently had a similar difference in height on some flooring, and we were able to lay over the area without the need for a joint and strip. By using a 1.5mm packer under the particleboard, you can ramp it up to meet flush with the tiles.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

 

[pash81]

Hi @MitchellMc 

Just wondering that can this be used straight on the concrete slab? Doe sthis have to be glued down to the concrete slab or bolted down?

Can the hybrid or vinyl flooring be laid strainght on top of these panels? 

Thanks

[MitchellMc]

Yes, STRUCTApanel can be installed directly over a concrete slab @pash81, but there are a few important checks to make first. The biggest one is moisture. If there is any moisture present in the slab, or if it is a slab on ground without a proper moisture barrier, it would need to be sealed first to prevent moisture being wicked up into the panels and then into the flooring above. A suitable concrete moisture barrier or sealer would be the right approach here. 

It is also a good idea to mechanically fix the panels down rather than leaving them loose. This helps prevent movement and any chance of squeaks or flex transferring through to the finished floor. Concrete screws are commonly used for this, spaced appropriately, making sure the heads sit flush so they do not interfere with the flooring.

Once the panels are fixed, hybrid or vinyl flooring can be laid directly on top, provided the surface is flat. That part is important. Any undulation or unevenness in the slab or the panels can telegraph through into hybrid flooring, so the slab needs to be checked and corrected first if required, and the panels packed where necessary to achieve a flat finish.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell