Hi I am in flooring The floor does not have to be water level you have a allowance of 3mm in 1mt or 6mm it 2mt or 9mm in 3mt get the picture The subfloor does have to be hard and smooth But you CAN NOT put the kitchen on the floating floor, the floating floor needs to be able to expand and contract with a min of 10 mm expansion or 1.5mm for every 1mt so a 10mt long room needs 15 mm expansion gap at ether end. Ask the kitchen supplier if he can leave the kick boards of a put them on are the floor is installed

I used to have tiled floors at the old place ..the whole downstairs was tiled ( lounge, study, living room , kitchen, laundry) terracotta ones..not cold at all contrary to what people think .. the kids loved riding their trikes around the house as it was massive open living space 36 squares in all. we had a wool rug where the living area was so kids can lounge around.. I find tiles are easier to maintain than floor boards.A quick vacuum and mop is all it needed and it hid the dirt well..whereas floor boards collects dust and hair etc.. Timber floorboards are nice to look at..the floating /laminate looks cheap and nasty I'd rather tiles instead.

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.

Yes (unfortunately) you're dreaming with the endeavour to raise the house, change/reno the upper levels AND develop a whole new lower level for $250K.......UNLESS potentially it's a DIY project. Practically Impossible in a professionally contracted scenario. It's closer to $400Kmin thing Also if you are removing bedrooms for the sake of larger living it's not a very cost effective proposal in that you're essentially robbing Peter to pay Paul from a property value point of view. It would be arguably a cheaper option to consider a new living/kitchen dining extension, rather than a raise/complete floor plan overhaul You're provably best to get some pro design assistance to help sift through your options Good luck PD