In this episode of Berti Tips we would like to discuss a question that very often arises during renovation projects: imagine that you want to renovate or replace the floor of a home or a room. What you would like to do is to lay a new floor using parquet, but is this possible? Can you choose to have a parquet floor on top of an existing floor?
The answer is yes in a variety of situations: the existing floor must be firmly fixed to the underlying screed, so there are no problems for tiles, ceramic coverings of various kinds, marble and its various composites or even stone. However, if your old floor has a carpet, PVC or linoleum covering, the parquet cannot be laid straight on top of it. The covering will have to be removed together with every trace of the old adhesive: if necessary, the substrate can be sanded lightly to remove all residues.
If your room falls within the first category, meaning that the existing material is suitable for laying of a parquet floor, the state of the substrate will still have to be checked thoroughly and in depth. The floor must be bonded perfectly to the screed, with no dips or cavities of any kind. It is essential to remove any residues of wax, dirt or grease which may have built up over time. The surface overall must be absolutely uniform, compact and flat, to allow the glue used to lay the parquet to form an effective, lasting bond. If there are any loose parts, or gaps in areas where old plumbing or wiring used to pass, they must be eliminated, filling in all the spaces. Ceramic tiles must be sanded, since they will provide the substrate for the glue and it must be able to bond to them securely. This procedure is also known as “roughing up” ceramic tiles: tools or chemicals are used to create a rough laying surface which the glue can “stick” to perfectly.
Once these essential phases have been completed, you will have a floor ready for laying of the parquet you have chosen: it may be laid by the floating or glued method, taking care to choose a suitable adhesive.
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