hi
i have a load of parquet flooring that we are going to do two rooms with
the backs have been heated and scraped and most of the bitumen removed to a smooth layer of it left on the back.

the sides and top have not been cleaned.

my questions are

do i need to remove all the bitumen off the backs or will it be ok as long as they are all smooth and the lumps removed?

do i need to clean the sides and if so how, as i dont want to wear the sides such that there are gaps when they are laid?

can i just leave the tops till i sand the lot down when they are all laid?

what adhesive should i use, given they were set in bitumen before? the floors are concrete, old or with new levelling compound poured on them

thanks very much for any help

regards
Wikey

When I did mine, I passed all the blocks through a thicknesser to remove all the bitumen. I then used a glue for Parquet. Its in the garage and cant remember the name. The sides were pretty clean. I sanded the lot afetr fixing then used the sawdust from the final sanding to mix with a special filler ...It was then a case of sort of grouting alll over to fill any gaps and another sand.

Originally Posted by Sir Ramic

When I did mine, I passed all the blocks through a thicknesser to remove all the bitumen. I then used a glue for Parquet. Its in the garage and cant remember the name. The sides were pretty clean. I sanded the lot afetr fixing then used the sawdust from the final sanding to mix with a special filler ...It was then a case of sort of grouting alll over to fill any gaps and another sand.

Perfect, just the ticket...

thanks for the advice

Originally Posted by Sir Ramic

When I did mine, I passed all the blocks through a thicknesser to remove all the bitumen. I then used a glue for Parquet. Its in the garage and cant remember the name. The sides were pretty clean. I sanded the lot afetr fixing then used the sawdust from the final sanding to mix with a special filler ...It was then a case of sort of grouting alll over to fill any gaps and another sand.

Hi wicky,

as Sir ramic mentioned a thicknesser would be ideal for removing from the back as this will ensure an even amount has been removed. An electric planer could be an alternative, but less accurate.

The sides should be fine. If there is alot of residue left on them then try to remove but if they were already fitted then they should not be too bad to put together.

Lay over an slc and use a tubbed adhesive spread with trowel. Lay your first row with a fast setting tube of adhesive to enable the first run to set (in a straight line) to avoide movement whilst you are fitting the floor. Same applies to herringbone in regards to setting your first run.

F Ball are a good choice for wooden floor adhesive

thanks for the reply, still levelling the floor, another couple of weeks before start laying it