My vinyl flooring in our kitchen is a mess. The expert installers who put it in did a poor job. Now after four years being in it is changing colours and the sub floor is lifting in spots. The sub floor was screwed in. We have stared to look at replacing it. Talking with some people they say that the problem I have is with the basement. Under the floor is a stone foundation basement that in the past was used as a cold storage. One flooring person told me that moisture from the basement was moving through the inch lumber floor into the sub floor and ruining the vinyl. the floor right now is in three layers. Inch lumber with vinyl tile then a sub floor with vinyl flooring then another sub floor with vinyl flooring (the foor I payed for). It was suggested that I insulate the ceiling in the basement and this would stop the moisture coming up then redo the floor. I would have to lift the top sub floor also because of height. If you can understand what I just wrote I would like to ask what you would do? (I'm sure it is all clear as mud).
Answer:
You request is clearer (an more common a problem than you'd believe) than you think. First, you'll have to insulate the crawlspace and then vapour barrier both walls and floor down there. Make sure you have good ventilation that you can adjust seasonally. Now comes the harder part. Remove all layers of underlayment and flooring right down to the original sub-flooring. Lay in new underlayment and then your new sheet vinyl on top of that. Short of this, you'll be creating a mould and mildew situation that will neve correct itself and the new flooring will only deteriorate like the ones before it.
