I am planning to convert a garage into a bedroom (built-in garage in a split-level house) and I am wondering how to lay laminate flooring on the existing concrete slab? I didn't intend to break it up but to lay on the existing concrete slab, which gives me a clearance of 4 cm up to the threshold leading into the rest of the house. Do I need to lay battens on the floor, or is it enough to lay a moisture barrier mat/Platon mat and then foam underlayment and then laminate flooring? Or will this be unstable?
Well, it is highly inappropriate to lay the plastic on a floor that is not properly drained and dry. However, that's how it's done on a floor that is indeed drained.
Since the house is not drained, we're not taking any chances and plan to install a platon membrane. But can you then directly over this membrane place gray paper or floor foam and then laminate flooring without installing joists on the floor? There are actually two questions I want answers to: question 1: Is a platon membrane, floor foam, and laminate flooring sufficient, or do I need any additional layers to keep moisture away? question 2: To get a stable floor, don't you need to install joists on the floor, or is the above sufficient?
I would think it might be a suitable idea to lay a thinner chipboard floating on top of the platonmat before the laminate; you probably don't need to level. Also, make sure to have ventilated baseboards around so that the moisture under the platonmat can be vented out there.
Note that these are my very personal speculations; it's best to wait until the professionals have spoken.
Note that these are my very personal speculations; it's best to wait until the professionals have spoken.
We recently had a good friend visiting who is a carpenter, and he said that a foundation mat wasn't needed, which I found strange since the house isn't drained. He further suggested that we shouldn't permanently seal the well, just fill the well and not the pipe in it, and then apply self-leveling compound to level the slope. Does anyone have any comments on this?