Sealer under laminate floor options. Help please!
#1
06-12-13, 11:41 AM
Sealer under laminate floor options. Help please!
First Question, then Story.
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I have 800 sq-ft of exposed concrete Floor I just scraped tile off in the hall way by the bedrooms, and in the kitchen/dining room. We will be putting floating laminate floors on but not for a few months to a year. The concrete as you are aware never stays clean, its incredibly dusty and i want to seal it for now so my kid can crawl on it without looking like a trailer park kid 5 seconds later.
I went to home depot to buy some sealer and the paint expert recommended against it, i usually don't listen to the salesmen but he said something that made me nervous. he said "if you lay a sealer down and cover it up, in a few years when the sealer starts to break down all the particles will 'burp' around the edges of your floating floor, spreading contaminates throughout your home and will make your family sick" he recommended concrete paint, as it will last up to 30 years before breaking down, as opposed to about 3 years for sealer.
Is this true? if it is, will using the home made trick of 50/50 linseed oil and turpentine avoid this issue?
If i use the linseed oil will it leave an oily residue that leaves my kid oily as he crawls on it?
THANK YOU!!!! Please help me understand!
Now for the story
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My wife and I bought our home back in March of 2012 in Mesa, AZ. One by one we have been tackling project after project with the intent of NOT going into debt making our home lovely, it was a foreclosure so it hasn't been an easy task! Especially considering I am just starting out in my career and have a 9 month old now, so money is tight. We are living in it while under construction but her parents live close so when i do something really smelly or dusty i send them over to her parents for a few days.
We finally decided to buy new carpet even though we couldn't afford it because the baby is crawling around now and the old stuff was disgusting... which means we have less than a year now to pay off the interest free for a year credit card before we get hit with with the absurd 27% interest rate. So finishing the flooring in the rest of the house is on the back burner! hence the need to seal it off until we pay off our carpet. We got the cheapest carpet we could find in a color we liked, and we searched around long and hard. i figure if it lasts 5 years ill be happy, and in 5 years I'll be in a much better financial place to buy good carpet.
--
I have 800 sq-ft of exposed concrete Floor I just scraped tile off in the hall way by the bedrooms, and in the kitchen/dining room. We will be putting floating laminate floors on but not for a few months to a year. The concrete as you are aware never stays clean, its incredibly dusty and i want to seal it for now so my kid can crawl on it without looking like a trailer park kid 5 seconds later.
I went to home depot to buy some sealer and the paint expert recommended against it, i usually don't listen to the salesmen but he said something that made me nervous. he said "if you lay a sealer down and cover it up, in a few years when the sealer starts to break down all the particles will 'burp' around the edges of your floating floor, spreading contaminates throughout your home and will make your family sick" he recommended concrete paint, as it will last up to 30 years before breaking down, as opposed to about 3 years for sealer.
Is this true? if it is, will using the home made trick of 50/50 linseed oil and turpentine avoid this issue?
If i use the linseed oil will it leave an oily residue that leaves my kid oily as he crawls on it?
THANK YOU!!!! Please help me understand!
Now for the story
--
My wife and I bought our home back in March of 2012 in Mesa, AZ. One by one we have been tackling project after project with the intent of NOT going into debt making our home lovely, it was a foreclosure so it hasn't been an easy task! Especially considering I am just starting out in my career and have a 9 month old now, so money is tight. We are living in it while under construction but her parents live close so when i do something really smelly or dusty i send them over to her parents for a few days.
We finally decided to buy new carpet even though we couldn't afford it because the baby is crawling around now and the old stuff was disgusting... which means we have less than a year now to pay off the interest free for a year credit card before we get hit with with the absurd 27% interest rate. So finishing the flooring in the rest of the house is on the back burner! hence the need to seal it off until we pay off our carpet. We got the cheapest carpet we could find in a color we liked, and we searched around long and hard. i figure if it lasts 5 years ill be happy, and in 5 years I'll be in a much better financial place to buy good carpet.
#2
06-12-13, 12:02 PM
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Wet side of Washington state.
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I have never heard, read or seen any evidence that a properly applied concrete sealer would break down and spew contaminants if it was subsequently covered. Of course just because I have never heard of it doesn't mean it isn't true but I think the guy was just trying to sell some paint.
I would be leery of using any "home brew" sealer though. I think I would check with a janitorial supply company and ask your question concerning concrete sealers.
I would be leery of using any "home brew" sealer though. I think I would check with a janitorial supply company and ask your question concerning concrete sealers.
#3
06-12-13, 12:07 PM
why would you be leery of using the home brew? i don't need to seal it for looks, we are OK with ugly, even blotchy floors... it's mainly dust suppression that we want. also, a little glossy or smooth finish would be nice so my boy doesn't get so scratched up crawling around...
#4
06-12-13, 12:16 PM
Banned. Rule And/Or Policy Violation
Want to do it right, then just clean it and paint it.
Done a moisture test you to see if laminite will even work?
If it passes then why not just lay the vaper barrier and laminite?
Some of the cheap stuff on sale would be cheaper then carpet.
A clear sealer will just give you a nasty looking seal floor.
Done a moisture test you to see if laminite will even work?
If it passes then why not just lay the vaper barrier and laminite?
Some of the cheap stuff on sale would be cheaper then carpet.
A clear sealer will just give you a nasty looking seal floor.
#5
06-12-13, 12:21 PM
Carpet is already in the bedrooms and living room. i have found some amazing deals on the laminate too which i plan on buying, but not until i finish paying for the carpet, I don't want to get hit with the crazy 27% interest backdated if I don't get it paid off in the first year.
Why is painting it done right? Sincere question.
I cant think off hand of anyone painting their interior floors, nor can I imagine it looking halfway decent. I could be wrong. The sealed cement at least would match the decor somewhat...
Why is painting it done right? Sincere question.
I cant think off hand of anyone painting their interior floors, nor can I imagine it looking halfway decent. I could be wrong. The sealed cement at least would match the decor somewhat...
#6
06-12-13, 12:43 PM
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Wet side of Washington state.
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IF you could get real BOILED linseed oil and deodorized turpentine I would not be quite as concerned. Raw linseed oil will take forever to dry and will never get real hard. Most of the "boiled" linseed oil available is NOT boiled but just has driers added and does not achieve the hard surface you want for a floor. Further, while linseed oil's odor is not unpleasant the odor of turpentine is. The outgassing of both products is probably not healthy and especially not for a small child. I know that if I had a child I would not want to subject him/her to the smells of such a home brew coating that could takes weeks to fully harden.
Honestly, I would rather see you use a liquid floor wax than the linseed oil and turpentine. In fact, liquid floor wax may be the best thing to use. It is fairly low in solids (much less than most industrial concrete sealers) so it would do little for smoothing out the rough surface, if it is a rough surface, but it dries quickly and is relatively benign. You could send the wife and child away for the day and night and probably get several full coats of wax on the floor and have it harden before they came back the next day. The wax should have no adverse effect on the pad underlayment of a floating floor.
Honestly, I would rather see you use a liquid floor wax than the linseed oil and turpentine. In fact, liquid floor wax may be the best thing to use. It is fairly low in solids (much less than most industrial concrete sealers) so it would do little for smoothing out the rough surface, if it is a rough surface, but it dries quickly and is relatively benign. You could send the wife and child away for the day and night and probably get several full coats of wax on the floor and have it harden before they came back the next day. The wax should have no adverse effect on the pad underlayment of a floating floor.
#7
06-12-13, 01:16 PM
Ok. I like that idea, thank you! Any recommendations on wax? I'm looking through home depot and lowes online... not finding anything that mentions wax... is there something i should be looking for?
Edit: Just found this... is this what you're talking about? looks like it goes on top of vinyl...
Trewax 1 Gal. Gold Label Sealer Wax Gloss Finish-887171967 at The Home Depot
Edit: Just found this... is this what you're talking about? looks like it goes on top of vinyl...
Trewax 1 Gal. Gold Label Sealer Wax Gloss Finish-887171967 at The Home Depot
#8
06-12-13, 01:39 PM
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Wet side of Washington state.
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Yeah, that will work. I would check with the janitorial supply to see what they have to offer to see if the price is better. With 800 square feet you will likely need a couple of gallons or more. High solids content could reduce the number of coats necessary.
#9
06-12-13, 01:52 PM
great, ill call around, thank you. 
Everything I'm reading is saying that wax is a top coat, that its meant to be used only after a sealer has been put down as a "wear layer"
So just to be sure i understand what i am looking for, you are saying that i can just use those top coat "wear layers" AS the sealer on bare cement, correct?
Everything I'm reading is saying that wax is a top coat, that its meant to be used only after a sealer has been put down as a "wear layer"
So just to be sure i understand what i am looking for, you are saying that i can just use those top coat "wear layers" AS the sealer on bare cement, correct?
#10
06-12-13, 07:52 PM
Join Date: Mar 2006
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Yes, that is what I am suggesting if you cannot find a sealer at a reasonable price. If this was going to be a floor that had high traffic, a commercial building or the like, I would not advise the wax. But for your purposes the wax should be fine. You may need to apply an additional coat every few months until you get your laminate down. It may be a blotchy looking finish but it will seal the concrete and hold down the dust.
Don't try to do it quickly by putting down thick coats or it will not dry/cure properly. Thin coats and wait the specified time before re-coating.
Don't try to do it quickly by putting down thick coats or it will not dry/cure properly. Thin coats and wait the specified time before re-coating.
