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Flooring Design Dilemma living room

built up sunken living room

6 years ago

i purchased a home with a sunken living room built up to the height of the entire home. the seller used 2x4 and plywood to build up floor over original concrete foundation. the seller then installed ceramic tile on the plywood matching the entire living, dining, family, and kitchen... the tile installed over built up floor that was installed on plywood is now coming loose and the grout is crumbling. the seller told me to call a tile installer and have them use silicone grout to solve the problem...

this makes no sense to me at all... can i simply install carpet over the area ir do i need to tear out installed build up? so wish i would have known this when i purchased home....

Featured Answer

saratogaswizzlestick

6 years ago

I would rip it out. A sunken living room is an expensive feature. You will also gain ceiling height.

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Comments (6)

bdrmadre
Original Author
6 years ago
i was thinking it might be best to just take it out.... install carpet and install a step to eleviate the need to lower sliding glass door to sunken floor height and to meet height of existing deck immediately outside slider....
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Hello All. We bought a home in Ca. built in the mid 70's that has a sunken living room. We did not really think too much about it when we bought it. Yes, I think it is a 70's dated look but the views, school district and location were the selling points. I LOVE my house. It has been 12 years since we bought it and I have entertained a lot! No one has ever fallen. My Mom and Dad moved in with me in their 90's and can navigate the step down. That said my foyer is sautillo tile in a reddish brown color and there are 3 steps down to the cream carpeted living room directly opposite the large foyer. I too have large floor to ceiling windows opposite the entrance probably for dramatic effect, a huge floor to vaulted ceiling fireplace with large hearth on the left and a wrought iron railing to the right dividing the foyer level dining room from the living room. Rather odd in today's design world. The wrought iron railing extends down the stairs on the dinning room side. So with the railing, several steps and a cream carpet in the living room there may be enough visual cues for the transition. This room did have a sunken bar within it when we bought it. That was very odd as the bartender/bar was at waist height when standing in the room. LOL we floored it over to make the room all one level!
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katinparadise
6 years ago
I would get the tile off and pull up a piece of plywood to see if the 2x4s are rotting. If the owner was lax enough to install tile directly over plywood instead of cement board and the appropriate underlayment (which is why it is loose and crumbling-it's flexing) they more than likely didn't put in a vapor barrier over the concrete before they laid down the 2x4s. If that's the case, the 2x4s are going to continue to absorb moisture from the concrete and rot eventually. You'll want to check with your local code enforcement to see if any step you build up to the slider and deck will meet building codes.
bdrmadre thanked katinparadise
bdrmadre
Original Author
6 years ago
thank you... with your input and the previous, i definitely need to take this out... the seller of this home was very lax in all kinds of things that were discovered after move in.... so disappointing.... the hunt for a contractor begins...
katinparadise
6 years ago
You're welcome. Good luck with your project!
pricklypearcactus
6 years ago
Tile should never be installed directly on plywood. I would remove all the tile and determine whether the subfloor is in good condition. If it is, then I would replace the flooring. If you still like / want tile, it should not go directly on the plywood. I highly recommend using Schluter Ditra, which is an uncoupling membrane. Houses move and when tile is set directly on plywood like that, the movement can cause the mortar and grout to crack and tiles to come loose. If they did not use an uncoupling membrane like Ditra, they should have at least put cement board down and tiled on that. You might be able to pull up a heating vent (if you have any) to see what's underneath.

https://www.schluter.com/schluter-us/en_US/Membranes/Uncoupling-(DITRA)/Schluter®-DITRA-&-DITRA-XL/p/DITRA

Also, it does not surprise me at all that someone would do this improper installation. A lot of people who do not know what they are doing (or who know what they are doing but are only interested in a quick buck from an improperly installed cosmetic change) are tiling these days. We've been house shopping and there are so many flips out there that I am positive have not been done properly.

Good luck!

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