Customer has had a house extension out from the lounge which has had Karndean Van Gogh fitted 2 yrs ago. They want the Van Gogh to flow through (2 archways!!) into the new ext. New base laid a week ago, so realise DPM needed, but worried about where the old & new concrete join. A, Can we expect the flooring to flow thru these 2 arches and precisely meet up again on t'other side? B, Should/would there be an expansion joint in the 2 concrete slabs? C, Worried about getting everything finished level after laying F77 + SG300 etc. D, Worried this joint will be a 'fault' for the moisture to escape?? Do we take it on?? Cheers Mark
A. No don't expect it but it can be done have a play about with some planks dry & a straight edge, draw some lines on the floor to follow so you know whats going happen before you glue up. B. Done this many times & never had a problem plenty primer up the edge of the old slab so the new screed bonds. Also pull up some of the Karndean thats down so you can get some feather over the join. C. Depends on the hight of the new slab ? Ideally you want it a bit lower so you can work up to it. If not your guna have to get slope it down to the original or rip up the existing Karndean & screed the lot. D. The builder who laid the new slab should have taken the DPC up the all the sides as well as the base so there should be a barrier between the old & new slap ! Also the slab should be left to cure for about 28 days before you do anything to it ie... DPM Do you take it on ? I would but its up to you really If your trying to match new to old Karndean there's a good chance there could be a colour shade difference.Its made in batches so has a batch number like wallpaper.
If you don't do much karndean if be inclined not to take it on. You got lots of little issues that could go wrong. If you have an experienced fitter get him to look at it and he can tell you what to expect realistically. I do a fair few replacements that involve joining new to old. The old always seems to be much shinier than the new. I'd advise them of this.
I've just fitted exactly that a coupe of weeks ago. I had fitted VG Burnt Ginger in the folks hallway about 12-14 years ago, they have now built an extension and knocked through a portion of the hall wall to access it. The builders finished floor height was higher than the original by the time the UFH mat was fitted. Have a bossy at my album, I took some stage photos. You'll see where the existing floor meets through the opening into the new area. I lifted the cut planks from the old floor and then used a combination of easyshim and fibre screed to bring the two floors together with a gradual rise. My advice would be to take your time and as Spacey said, map it out dry before you think about glue. As for the dpm, I was using Ardex one coat today and I thought it was the best dpm I've used. Do you take it on?? Bloody right you do!! As long as you do your homework, take your time and don't be scared to rub down the transition point and refeather if required rather than rushing the fit. Then you get to stand back and say "I did that". Remember photos to show future customers.
Ive done a few of these types and at first its a little daunting but dry fit marked out and you can go wrong. Like Jambo says spend as much time it needs to get the join in 2 concretes spot on. I made a mistake by rushing it through on one and before I got to carried away I ripped up what I started to fit to give it another flash over with the feather which made a massive difference to me but the customer couldnt tell in the first place. She was telling me "no that looks fine etc" but I told her I need to take the several planks up and go over it again. Ardex One coat rules, expensive but its the only dpm I use now.
After using it the other day I had a bit left in the tin and couldn't get to the lid (schoolboy error). Wrapped some polythene round it and wedged it against the passenger seat till I got back to the skip at the store. OOPS! An hour and a bit later I was driving home thinking "hmm feeling a bit light headed, must be lack of food". My mate jumped in the van and just looked at me and said "you high??".
My pal lifted it out to chuck and nearly dropped it cos it was that warm, obviously I was too high to help ;-)
Got to be careful putting the lid back on epoxy Dpm when its curing. Pressure can build up in the can & explode !!!!!
Ummm.... be very careful breathing epoxy vapors. It can cause Sensitization, Sensitization in this case, is the state of being allergic to epoxy. Sensitization can occur at any point, regardless of how many times or for how long you’ve been exposed to epoxy. Your chances of being sensitized will increase if you’re exposed to a greater amount of fumes in an unventilated area, but even one episode of exposure can lead to an allergic reaction. This is why preventative safety is so important in regard to epoxy. Once sensitized, even small amounts of the substance can trigger allergic reactions and it will be increasingly difficult to work with the material. There is also no definite cure for sensitization, only methods to relieve the symptoms. In your case if you have become light headed or feel ill or 'high' after using epoxy it would indicate you have become allergic to it (Sensitization). What it sounds like is it was not allowing your body to inhale enough oxygen as it effects your lungs giving shortness of breath. This it tern can cause the symptoms you describe. I would look at this a warning your body has given you to stop using epoxy or use the correct PPE equipment. Also, you should never transport epoxy that has not cured and you should not put the lid on it. The tub can build pressure and 'pop' . it should be left in a well ventilated area to cure and then transported once cured. It is also illegal to dispose of epoxy resin if its not fully cured (unless at a hazardous waste site) . That being the waste material in one of the pots that has not been mixed. You must always tip some of the mixed epoxy back into the tub that had the hardener in it to make it cure both tubs. So part a + b pots, both need to be cured.
I had a tub of f60 pop it's lid in the van it was in the centre of a plastic box with tubes of mastic around it the lid was on the box and a thick dust sheet laid ontop (didn't want frost getting to it) anyway it was a hot day. Went to work the next day and felt high all day.. had a glass of red as you do and I was out for the count. Mrs takes the van as she works 7 till 11, she asks in the morning had i left a spatula in the cab with f60 on it as it stunk of f60. ooops....
