Hi Nick The vinyl is a no go unfortunately as it needs a nice flat surface. Otherwise you will soon see the underlying pattern through. You have a couple of options though with the slate as others have suggested. Firstly I would check out the adhesion of the slate to the floor ie check if there are any loose pieces. Tap on the floor lightly with your knuckles over the whole floor or VERY lightly with a hammer or other metal object. You will soon hear hollow areas. If there is a lot hollow, I would break out the jack hammer and pop it all off. It's a bit of a job, but you can strip a large area in a day easily then grab a floor grinder to remove the adhesive. Again another day and messy but then you have a fresh start, or you can get a floor stripping company in to do it with little fuss. Options then become standard ie vinyl, other tiles or epoxy coatings. If you want to go over the existing floor, you can have a flooring specialist out that does self leveling epoxys or flowcrete to either create a marble style or polished concrete finish, a clear mirror level finish in which the slate looks like a pattern within the mirror floor or create a level surface from which you can then add your vinyl etc. Cathy are thinking of Laminam? It comes in a 3m x 1m sheet which I have seen used on floors but you can also get the 1m x 1m for floors and it is 3mm thick plus the backing. Cheers

Thank you for your enquiry. The requirements for these types of windows and associated costs have completely changed. You would not be able to use these today. Windows in Bushfire Prone Areas require special selection. You need to work with an experienced Designer because of these regulations.

hi all, thanks for your comments and support. We have received the ATFA inspection report which clearly outlines numerous problems with the floor which are solely caused by the poor installation. The installation does not meet the manufacturers specifications or Australian Standards. The slab was too uneven, far more than the recommended allowance, and was not properly prepared prior to the laying of the boards. We have since been back in touch with the installer. He was not happy and initially tried to act as if he was shocked, even though we highlighted problems with him even before he finished laying the boards. He also tried to make us feel guilty about taking the action that we did. Now with the report, there is no way he can deny that he is at fault. So, we are now in the process of getting quotes to have the floor pulled up, slab rectified and new boards laid by a professional wooden floor installer. We may not have to remove the whole kitchen and it may be possible to all be done by removing the kickers and panels and cutting the boards out. Even though this is not ideal, we have our fingers crossed. However, the extent of the problem will not be known until the boards come up and see what damage/problems are underneath. it has been a very stressful, inconvenient and disappointing experience. I think we have reached a point now where we know we just have to get on with it and get it done. This is not something that we have ever had to go through before and we are really feeling out way in the dark. There is certainly no joy in having to confront someone about their poor workmanship. We believe that the installer has been in touch with his insurance company, but whether they cover him for this type of thing, I am not sure. I guess that is for him to sort out. The floorboards are engineered oak and directly stuck to the subfloor. The glue he used was called wakpol or similar, but we have since been advised that a foaming glue probably would have been more suitable for this job.

Hi Josette Polyurethane based sealers often turn yellow when they are exposed to UV. The same thing can happen with oil based white paints where they are NOT exposed to UV and the tannins turn them yellow. I would speak with the installer and find out what product was specifically used and then make enquiries with the supplier of that product. Cheers