Lowering a concrete floor

pressurecooker

I am about to lay a wooden floor downstairs on a concrete surface, but have now noticed that the patio doors will not open inwards fully, when the timber and foam underlay are laid.

Does anyone have any suggestion such as sanding/scraping the sealed concrete floor, to lower it to the required level. Is it possible to hire some equipment or company to do this ?

Thanks.

ART6

Someone else might know better than I, but I wouldn't have thought that what you want to do is practical. Sanding the floor would take forever to remove even a small amount and would create massive amounts of dust. There are some industrial machines that could take down the surface, but I've never heard of them being used in a house and I wouldn't expect them to be able to get close in to the walls. Then, if you had to lower the floor by much you could reduce the thickness over the membrane too much, resulting in the floor cracking. Is there no means of raising the patio doors enough instead? Most of them have some height adjustment on the hinges and locks.

RKQ

Patio doors (sliding from side to side) or French doors (opening into room) ?

If they are standard Patio Doors then you could use a timber "reducer" at the base of the door frame. The solid wood reducer would match your floor.
Its a curved length of wood with a lip. The lip covers the end of your timber floorboards, the curve slopes down from the floorboards to the frame. They are usually 40 to 75mm wide.

They are available in 1.8m lengths in most hardware / DIY stores. A local Joinery could make one to your exact requirements.

builditwell

Hi pressurecooker,

From what i understand is the doors are hinged and will not open inwards fully as the concrete floor is too high in some places. You can use a grader for this but its tough piece of kit to use and a bit messy.It is water cooled to keep down dust also. What is does is score an even line into surface and after several passes in one direction go across the lines and create a grid on the floor then its easily removed with spade bit kango hammer. Ive done this twice where the door had no adjustment and a floor was just out by 6-8mm over 5 feet.Take a level both side and finish with floor leveller. Before you do this see if the doors can be adjusted at the hinges as this might save all of this.

Regards
Builditwell

stapeler

Is it possible to have the doors altered to open out instead. It would be a lot easier than grinding a floor. Here's a grinder to hire but as mentioned above it's a very messy job.

Hagar

Replace the hinges with rising hinges that lift the door as it opens.

pressurecooker

Guys,

thanks for all the help and advice...was doing some research at the weekend, and I think I may be able to use some washers on the hinges to raise the doors up a little bit....may also do a bit of sanding on the lower lip of the door also...seems to be a beeter alternative to attempting any alterations to the floor.

thanks.....