Advice please on laying a reclaimed parquet floor?

Question

I have a mountain of oak parquet flooring, in rectangles measuring 6" x 3". They have been on bitumen in the past, and a lot of this remains. Could I use a levelling compound on the floor and then lay these blocks on without the need to remove the bitumen? They are tongue and groove, incidentally, so would the compound, and a tight fit, suffice to keep them secure?

Answer 1

Without seeing it I'd have to say my inclination is to say no.

I'm guessing the glue on the back is a black tarry mess that's not uniform and probably has some trowel marks. When someone speaks of leveling compound it's usually water based like a portland cement type product. If you use something like this it's best to let it dry first so it won't make the wood swell. You can't stick wood down with it.

The best method is probably to locate some new black adhesive. It's often called Cold-Bond or Cold-Stik. You spread this with a 1/4" x 1/4" x 1/4" square notch trowel. If it's too thick to spread you can heat it in the sun. Let it sit up a while after spreading and lay the parquet into it after cleaning as much old adhesive off the back as possible, making sure the tongues and grooves are not damaged and scraping off any filler that may have accumulated between the board faces.

Be careful sanding or grinding the old glue off the back because it may contain asbestos.

I don't want to discourage you but I'd give you a 3 in 10 chance of success. Chances are that the floor will be so uneven after installation that you will have to sand and finish it.

Answer 2

All your parquet needs to be the same thickness to avoid cracking in the future. Is the bitumen consistent or just here and there? Are you thinking that the leveling compound will fill in the gaps? It might to some extent, but I wouldn't take a chance. Sorry.