DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi, I'm planning on laying a solid oak floor onto a concrete subfloor which is currently covered with well attached vinyl tiles - there's lots of conflicting advice out there but i understand my options are to apply a liquid DPM then glue directly to the floor or alternatively lay a polythene DPM with underlay and fit as floting floor which may be easier. i would be grateful for any advice on either of these options :?

Poly DPM and floating floor every time. Timber floors move about in varying temperatures you can see that by looking at any floorboards in a room. Gaps appear and dissapear all the time. If your floor is floating it will have the freedom to expand and contract a little and because of the expansion joints around the edges, should not be seen to do so. If the floor is stuck down and it moves, it becomes unstuck and stays unstuck until you take it up again. This can lead to a very "bouncy and noisy" floor.

Floating it is then - thanks for the advice

It may be too late for you but if you haven't laid the floor yet get some professional advice. I have yet to meet a professional wood flooring contractor who would contemplate laying a solid Oak floor as a floating floor and expect it to be successful long term.

Flexible floor adhesives MS Polymer or PU are available for this purpose