Home DIY

you'll probably still need to ply over the whole lot once you're done to get a flat enough surface for vinyl tiles, otherwise you'll get gaps where the tiles join.
subfloor prep is really important for a good finish.
I've just done the same in my kitchen, running 8x4 sheets of 6mm ply over old floorboards, concrete, and a new area of floor that's been brought up to the same level as the rest.

Happy with the finish and did you do it yourself? Asking for a friend who needs some reassurance.

I suppose the worst that can happen is I spend a few grand in the future to get someone to fix my mistakes. Though having been trying to book someone to look at it since 2019 doesn't fill me with confidence that will be before we move.

PVC interlocking tiles like these https://www.ecotileflooring.com/product/­e5007/

(main brands are ecotile, duratile, duramat and plasfloor)

Thanks! I ended up going for a cheaper version of this without the weight rating as it goes. Far easier than trying to glue and cut a sheet of vinyl.

I admit this is very tempting, but I am loathed to take a drill to something that is "finished". I'll take a look at the potential exit/entry points and have a think.

No worries. Seems like a really good solution.

Also a lot of people slate the cheaper versions. But that's because they all want to put cars on car stands on them. I was thinking they'd be a really good idea to spruce up a shed or workshop floor where you're never going to have a huge weight in such a localised spot.

Definitely post a pic when you're done and a link to the ones you bought.

I honestly think that you need to get a professional to come and see check things before committing to taking out that concrete no matter how tempting it is.

Concerns I would have:

1. The property is built into a hill you say. The external wall could be acting as a retaining wall taking out the concrete could remove some support, especially if the foundations are less than optimal for example in a building of that age they could be no more than spreader corbels (or worse no foundations at all).
   
2. Are there any services under the concrete?
   
3. Even if the other two are not an issue from what you describe there could easily be other issues and there is no way of knowing this until you start the work
   
   

I know you have deadlines looming but how hard are these?

In your situation I would want to get the opinion of a structural engineer. At the end of the day by spending a few hundred quid now you will be covered by their professional indemnity insurance should things go horribly pear shaped.

From all I have seen from the situation the best case scenario is the concrete is only a bit of blinding and you can break this out dig down and sort the floor. The other scenarios could be catastrophic. Alternatively as has been put forward by @Airhead scribe the floor "flat" with hardboard.

Yep, the hardboard/ply method was always and remains the front runner. Agree with all the above and despite my bluster am unlikely to take out a floor without due caution and checking. Haven't had time to pull floorboards today but will aim to this week and take it from there.

I'm repairing our porch overhang thing.

Blasted it with a pressure washer today. Need to have at it with wire brush, then fill with TOUPRET TOUPRELITH F EXTERIOR MASONRY REPAIR FILLER. @Airhead I know you said toupret fibarex(?) but that doesn't seem to come up and this sounds like the same.

Is it worth buying a set of these?

https://www.screwfix.com/p/forge-steel-edging-trowel-set-3-piece-set/5334c

I think I'm going to buy an external corner trowel to increase my odds of a crisp finish. But wondered if these will help. They're not really the sort of thing I want to spend money on or have cluttering up the place if I don't have to.

Cheers.

Edit: I found Toupret Fibarex Quick Set Exterior Filler from https://leylandsdm.co.uk/toupret-masonry-fibarex-masonry-repair-with-fibre-quick-set-5kg.html
Sounds like it may be better for filling the bigger patches. Then if it's too rough I can buy the stuff from Screwfix.

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Happy with the finish and did you do it yourself?

yes, and yes, but I didnt have to level the floor as the builder had already made it pretty level.
after removing any bits where the ply would high point, I screwed and glued over the concrete, overlapping onto the chipboard bit and existing floorboards, then used a brad gun to nail down the rest of the ply at 300ish centres.
I've also used some 2mm foam underlay stuff over the floorboards where they were a bit warped just to even it out.
if you're not sure whether the concrete has a damp proof membrane you'll need to put a suitable DPM down before going over it.
it's not too difficult, just a bit awkward manoeuvring the big sheets of ply around and cutting them to fit around the edges etc.

personally I wouldn't attempt breaking up the concrete floor by myself. depends how confident you are with the tools and if you're happy you can fix anything you mess up in the process!

There's Murex and Fibarex that are both common for exterior repairs. Fibarex is reinforced with fibres to provide some resistance to cracking, Murex has a high marble content and can be used on corners unsupported without slumping. Ideally you'd have both and pick which one suits the area best. The decorators supplier I use is an independant and they will sell the individual 1kg bags out of the 5 kilo big bags so it's easier to get what you want without having loads left over.

I wouldn't bother with an exterior corner trowel, you can use 2 trowels to get the same result or use a ply former. You can sort a lot out by sanding on exterior corners anyway.

Touprelith is the grey cement filler, I have used it in the past but Murex took over for some reason.

Amazing. Super helpful as always.

I think I'll go with the Fibarex first as it's a delivery thing for me, then if needed I can swing by Screwfix. I guess I'll grab the 3 piece set and a big float, but leave the external corner one.

Think I'll also grab a 4½ grinder as I've been holding on buying one until the next DIY job comes up. I reckon it'll be faster/easier using one with the brilo pad discs than going at it with a wire brush.

Angle grinder is one of my least used tools. I guess it could be useful in this case but you'll need to be very careful not to leave the surface covered in ridges.

I've been using an IR stripper with some success on cement cills but mostly I chip paint off with a hammer and sharp chisel. I guess it's a technique that you get better at after you've done a few hours though!

Toupret do an interior wall filler thats one of my new fave products, easy to get a fine edge, sands OK and doesn't shrink like many others. Stinks though and doesn't come out of skin or clothing very easily.

Which one is that? I've not noticed a stink with the ones I use.

Here's a thought: would multiple layers of compacted underlay form a better and more flexible filler for the bit that comes from the high concrete down to the low boards? I'm paranoid that the few inches around that area could be weaker if it's just badly scribed hardboard laid on top (i.e. put a chair leg on it and it cracks because there's nothing underneath in the void? What about lots of layers of thin underlay and then 3-6mm hardboard over the whole thing with the cork panels on top?

The guys who did our block renovation used Murex to repair the underside of a masonry cill that had crumbled off. They drove some screws in to give it some purchase before applying but it held amazingly well. They did say it was a bastard to sand though.

I use a sponge when it's drying, especially handy if you need a bit of texture to match bricks. It is a job to sand once it's fully dried though.

A stonemason used a sanding flap disc on our sandstone cills. It avoids the problem of ridges that Airhead mentions,

Although on concrete. Ick.

To repair, they built a form, and used chicken wire reinforcement. I'd be tempted to do similar with a concrete block, and maybe use reinforcement fibres rather than faffing with wire.

Wallpapering is fun, innit?

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Cheers. I've ordered some fibres and already have some 40 and 180 flapdiscs in my basket.

I think I may not bother with the polly/scotchbright things as I seem to remember now their main benefit is for car paint to reduce heat and prevent the risk of going through bodywork.

I've not dealt with a lot of electrical stuff, but switching out a ceiling rose and pendant seemed like it was within my capabilities.

I did one without a hitch, but the second is a bit more problematic.

I can't find anything to screw the rose into, there isn't a joist around where the old one was screwed in, and the old screw hole (the other screw just seemed to disappear into a hole and not actually attach to anything) seems to be right in the path of all the cables. I've read that you're not supposed to screw into cables.

What's my solution? Grip Fill or No More Nails with duct tape till it dries? Rubber screws?

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Have you checked that the screw was not located into a short piece of small section wood
that was longer than the hole plus an inch or so either side?
Such a piece of wood with a loop of string to pull it down to allow the fixing screw to locate
might have been how an electrician originally fitted that ceiling rose.

as someone who is quite likely to come across this issue in the next few months, thank you - very good tip

That sounds like a great idea - but no, nothing like that here. There was one long wood screw that disappeared into the hole (where plaster may have been once), and one plasterboard screw in the plaster.

What's above? Can you get access? Failing that, can you cut a larger hole to put some wooden reinforcement in then repair?