Do You Need To Seal A Concrete Floor Before Laying Laminate

Do you need to seal a concrete floor before laying laminate the operative word in your question is need and the answer is it depends.

Do you need to seal a concrete floor before laying laminate.

Sealing prevents moisture from evaporating out of the porous concrete surface onto the new flooring. If the house is older or there is a doubt regarding possible moisture in the concrete subfloor then laminate can be laid on a bituminous reinforced underlay designed for that purpose. Remove any carpet or other flooring. However to prevent moisture from the concrete floor from affecting your laminate install a vapor barrier of polyethylene film.

Install a plastic vapor barrier. Add about 10 to that number to account for any possible mistakes and warped boards. Multiply length times width of the room. Determine how much flooring and materials will be needed.

From my understanding the screed will not need sealing if you are only going to fit laminate or carpet. Laminate flooring in a home can completely revitalize an old look of a room creating a classic style that matches many home decors. However many homeowners are disappointed to discover that solid wood flooring cannot be installed on a concrete slab. You can install laminate flooring over a variety of subfloors including concrete.

Just be sure to use the correct laminate suitable for the kind of area you are intending to use it on. Laminate flooring is a good alternative to wood flooring in basements. Nevertheless if you have to lay laminate flooring on a large surface a very large room or several room you should buy only 5 percent more flooring. Install this barrier even if the concrete subfloor is covered by vinyl linoleum terrazzo or ceramic tile.

You don t need to seal a concrete floor before installing laminate. If your concrete passes the moisture test then plastic sheeting at least 6 mils thick will prevent moisture from getting into your laminate flooring. Where plastic sheets must be joined overlap the sheets by several inches and use strong vinyl tape to secure them. If you have to lay laminate boards on a small surface or a room with a complex shape buy 10 more flooring as you will get significant waste due to cutting.

Allow the thinset to completely dry before you seal the surface of the concrete pad. If you have a vinyl floor you may be able to install your flooring directly on top of it. A freshly screeded floor should be sealed before tiles are fitted unless a screed has been used that does not need sealing priming this screed is usually dust free so it seems as yours would require sealing for tiling. Sealing concrete is both a protective coating for the concrete floor from above and an additional moisture.

However before you can begin to lay the floor boards you must ensure that any damage to the concrete is completely repaired.