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Default Parquet Flooring and Flagstones, Problem!

My wife and I are renovating an 1870's house. Under the lounge carpet is what I presume to be the original Flagstones "great" you might think!

Problem is I was hoping for a screeded floor, as we intend on laying parquet flooring in a double herringbone pattern and as I am sure you are all aware, a flat surface is required. Well the flagstones by nature are not flat!

Here are my options as I see it:

A. Cover the flagstones in a thin screed, a shame to waste them and thin is not good, cracks etc.

B. Take out the flagstones and try to sell them on ebay, lay a new 4" concrete floor for the parquet flooring.

C. Forget it and lay some new carpet.

If anyone has any advice it would be much appreciated!
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Nigel Molesworth
 
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Default Parquet Flooring and Flagstones, Problem!

On Tue, 24 Jan 2006 21:56:34 +0000, andymason79 wrote:

we intend on laying parquet flooring in a double herringbone pattern


What is this, bad taste week?

You have got ORIGINAL FLAGSTONES, and you are going to cover them up.
While you are at it, why not rip out the fireplaces and make all the
doors flush with hardboard. Some uPVC windows might be nice.

Clean the floor, buy rugs.

--
Nigel M
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Chris Bacon
 
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Default Parquet Flooring and Flagstones, Problem!

andymason79 wrote:
My wife and I are renovating an 1870's house. Under the lounge carpet is
what I presume to be the original Flagstones "great" you might think!

Problem is I was hoping for a screeded floor, as we intend on laying
parquet flooring in a double herringbone pattern and as I am sure you
are all aware, a flat surface is required. Well the flagstones by
nature are not flat!

Here are my options as I see it:

A. Cover the flagstones in a thin screed, a shame to waste them and
thin is not good, cracks etc.

B. Take out the flagstones and try to sell them on ebay, lay a new 4"
concrete floor for the parquet flooring.

C. Forget it and lay some new carpet.


What are these "flagstones" like?

Replacing the "flagstones" with concrete will be best, if you really
want a parquet floor, as thin screen is iffy, and the stones may rock
enough to be a problem anyway. Option "C" is obviously the easiest.
Making a feature of the floor, but covering most of it with a large
rug or rugs may be nicest. Up to you.
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Grunff
 
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Default Parquet Flooring and Flagstones, Problem!

Nigel Molesworth wrote:

What is this, bad taste week?


I love it when someone who's never actually lived with 'original
flagstones' wades in...


You have got ORIGINAL FLAGSTONES, and you are going to cover them up.


Yes, very sensibly. Flagstones weren't used because they are a great
floor, they were used because they were relatively cheap and hard
wearing. They have many, many drawbacks.


Some uPVC windows might be nice.


Some? Why do a half-arsed job? Replace the lot.


Clean the floor, buy rugs.


ROFL


--
Grunff
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Nigel Molesworth
 
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Default Parquet Flooring and Flagstones, Problem!

On Tue, 24 Jan 2006 23:06:43 +0000, Grunff wrote:

I love it when someone who's never actually lived with 'original
flagstones' wades in...


I realise there can be problems (movement, damp etc) but figured that
if they were good enough to lay carpet on, they should be sound.

I helped a friend re-lay the flagstones in his barn conversion, it
looked fantastic when it was finished.
--
Nigel M


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Grunff
 
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Default Parquet Flooring and Flagstones, Problem!

Nigel Molesworth wrote:

I realise there can be problems (movement, damp etc) but figured that
if they were good enough to lay carpet on, they should be sound.

I helped a friend re-lay the flagstones in his barn conversion, it
looked fantastic when it was finished.



Yes, they can look good. But they're cold. And they trap dirt in the
thick grout lines. Really only worth considering if you're laying 2" of
insulation and UFH underneath - otherwise not nice at all.


--
Grunff
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Junior Member
 
Posts: 21
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nigel Molesworth
On Tue, 24 Jan 2006 21:56:34 +0000, andymason79 wrote:

we intend on laying parquet flooring in a double herringbone pattern


What is this, bad taste week?

You have got ORIGINAL FLAGSTONES, and you are going to cover them up.
While you are at it, why not rip out the fireplaces and make all the
doors flush with hardboard. Some uPVC windows might be nice.

Clean the floor, buy rugs.

--
Nigel M
You say that, but don't know enough about what previous owners have done to the rest of the property!

I have ripped out the fireplace, it was the most ugly (1960's) piece of S**T you could ever come across. I really wanted a coal fire but the original fire was gone, as was the chimmney all to make room for a backboiler, so that feature was gone. As for the windows, we were thinking about getting Upvc ones fitted because again the windows currently here are nasty 1950's ones covered in a sea of white gloss. The only original sash is on the landing and its suffered the same fate.

Had the flagstones been in the kitchen it would have been great, I wanted a farmhouse look, but someone about 20 years ago had beaten me to screeding over them (I would not have in the kitchen). By the way there are cracks in the screed there, so I guess concrete is best.

Anymore advice appreciated!
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Nigel Molesworth
 
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Default Parquet Flooring and Flagstones, Problem!

On Tue, 24 Jan 2006 23:33:08 +0000, Grunff wrote:

Yes, they can look good. But they're cold.


So is thin strips of wood placed on top.

--
Nigel M
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Christian McArdle
 
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Default Parquet Flooring and Flagstones, Problem!

B. Take out the flagstones and try to sell them on ebay, lay a new 4"
concrete floor for the parquet flooring.


I'd be thinking 'B'. Whilst I'm all for keeping original features,
flagstones in the lounge would be a step too far unless it was the sort of
genuine country cottage that really benefits visually from them.

If you are redoing the floor, you should really be insulating it too. I'd
consider laying underfloor heating pipes at the same time so you can save
yourself wallspace from the radiators.

Christian.


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Dave Fawthrop
 
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Default Parquet Flooring and Flagstones, Problem!

On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 11:46:08 -0000, "Christian McArdle"
wrote:


|If you are redoing the floor, you should really be insulating it too.

Amen to that. I lived in a house with flagged floors mumble years ago,
and they were $%$%$£%(* cold.
--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk
17,000 free e-books at Project Gutenberg! http://www.gutenberg.net
For Yorkshire Dialect go to www.hyphenologist.co.uk/songs/


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Rick
 
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Default Parquet Flooring and Flagstones, Problem!

On Tue, 24 Jan 2006 21:56:34 +0000, andymason79
wrote:


My wife and I are renovating an 1870's house. Under the lounge carpet is
what I presume to be the original Flagstones "great" you might think!

Problem is I was hoping for a screeded floor, as we intend on laying
parquet flooring in a double herringbone pattern and as I am sure you
are all aware, a flat surface is required. Well the flagstones by
nature are not flat!

Here are my options as I see it:

A. Cover the flagstones in a thin screed, a shame to waste them and
thin is not good, cracks etc.

B. Take out the flagstones and try to sell them on ebay, lay a new 4"
concrete floor for the parquet flooring.

C. Forget it and lay some new carpet.

If anyone has any advice it would be much appreciated!


There is probably no DPM under the flagstones, so they will need to
come out, even if later replaced.

OK, they don't need to come out if you are doing one of those "lime
motar is great, lets make this place cold and drafty" type
renovations.

Rick

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Default Parquet Flooring and Flagstones, Problem!

Why buy an old house if you are going to f**k it over by replacing
period stuff with poor quality modern alternatives?
If the flags are dry why not just leave them alone. If damp then you
could lift and re-lay on soft sand/dpm/sand/hardcore as necessary.
Concrete not necessary but insulation could be added above dpm .

cheers

Jacob

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Default Parquet Flooring and Flagstones, Problem!


Grunff wrote:

Nigel Molesworth wrote:

What is this, bad taste week?


I love it when someone who's never actually lived with 'original
flagstones' wades in...


You have got ORIGINAL FLAGSTONES, and you are going to cover them up.


Yes, very sensibly. Flagstones weren't used because they are a great
floor, they were used because they were relatively cheap and hard
wearing. They have many, many drawbacks.

Nonsense. Flagstones were expensive. Cheap floors were cobbled - often
"pitched" i.e. thin stones on edge, cheaper floors were bare earth
compacted and improved with mutton fat etc. Some flags e.g. big
limestone ones were very expensive and would cost a fortune to replace
nowadays. Quarry tiles took over because they were much cheaper by the
late 19C and an improvement on some (but not all) stone surfaces.

cheers

Jacob

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The Natural Philosopher
 
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Default Parquet Flooring and Flagstones, Problem!

On Tue, 24 Jan 2006 23:33:08 +0000, Grunff wrote:

Nigel Molesworth wrote:

I realise there can be problems (movement, damp etc) but figured that
if they were good enough to lay carpet on, they should be sound.

I helped a friend re-lay the flagstones in his barn conversion, it
looked fantastic when it was finished.


Yes, they can look good. But they're cold. And they trap dirt in the
thick grout lines. Really only worth considering if you're laying 2" of
insulation and UFH underneath - otherwise not nice at all.


HEAR HEAR!!!
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The Natural Philosopher
 
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Default Parquet Flooring and Flagstones, Problem!

On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 08:18:57 +0000, andymason79 wrote:

Nigel Molesworth Wrote:
On Tue, 24 Jan 2006 21:56:34 +0000, andymason79 wrote:

we intend on laying parquet flooring in a double herringbone pattern

What is this, bad taste week?

You have got ORIGINAL FLAGSTONES, and you are going to cover them up.
While you are at it, why not rip out the fireplaces and make all the
doors flush with hardboard. Some uPVC windows might be nice.

Clean the floor, buy rugs.

--
Nigel M


You say that, but don't know enough about what previous owners have
done to the rest of the property!

I have ripped out the fireplace, it was the most ugly (1960's) piece of
S**T you could ever come across. I really wanted a coal fire but the
original fire was gone, as was the chimmney all to make room for a
backboiler, so that feature was gone. As for the windows, we were
thinking about getting Upvc ones fitted because again the windows
currently here are nasty 1950's ones covered in a sea of white gloss.
The only original sash is on the landing and its suffered the same
fate.

Had the flagstones been in the kitchen it would have been great, I
wanted a farmhouse look, but someone about 20 years ago had beaten me
to screeding over them (I would not have in the kitchen). By the way
there are cracks in the screed there, so I guess concrete is best.

Anymore advice appreciated!


I feel for you.

If at all possible rip te stines up, wash off in brick acid, and sell or
use somewhere else.

If at all possible, rip up the complete floor underneath and do what Grunff
suggested - i.e. put a decent floor with insulation down underneath it.

Essentially about 4 " of concrete over a hardcore base, DPM, at least 2" of
polystyrene, and then 4 " of screed with UFH pipes laid in it.
THEN parquet it.

THAT is what I call a FLOOR.

Samshin up te original floor is the worst..after that its just pay money to
good screeders...the rest is DIY. Even te screeding is DIY if you take the
trouble to lay guides of wood, and can mix the screed correctly.






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Default Parquet Flooring and Flagstones, Problem!

The problem is that people tend to destroy the very thing they want -
you see it everywhere; old cottage has complete makeover, repointing,
re-roofing, new doors and windows, caustic dipped doors, replastering,
outbuildings demolished, new wide gravel driveway, coach lamps from
B&Q, etc etc. Then when it's all done virtually every vestige of the
picturesque old building had been eliminated and it might as well be
new built.
So I think it is essential to persuade people to leave well alone and
try to do the minimum necessary - if it turns out not to be enough they
can always do a bit more, but if you do it all at the beginning there
is no going back. Once it's gone it's gone forever.
"Thats how buildlings develop over time" not so. It used to be in bits
and bobs as repairs or small changes were needed - nowadays it's a
disastrous irreversible major facelift or nothing.

cheers

Jacob

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