Installing Hardwood Over Existing Floor

So before i get into the step by step diy installation tutorial i wanted to give you a little more of the juicy deets regarding this cutting edge flooring technology.

Installing hardwood over existing floor.

Installing new hardwood over old hardwood floors. Hardwood floors are durable beautiful and a great diy project. Or if the thickness of the floor will allow it staple to the existing floor. Installing engineered hardwood over existing flooring is a great option for people who have hard to remove floors such as glued down hardwood or glued down vinyl.

Check with the flooring manufacturer for recommendations. When installing new wood flooring parallel to an existing solid nail down floor add a minimum of 3 8 plywood underlayment over the existing floor to increase stability. If the wood is heavily gapped these gaps must first be fixed. Sheet vinyl can be installed over an old hardwood floor but a layer of 1 4 inch or thicker underlayment has to be installed over the old hardwood flooring first.

Installing new hardwood over older wood floors can be extremely time saving in lieu of removal that can become expensive dirty and even dangerous depending on how the original floor was installed. The type of installation you choose will depend on your subfloor budget lifestyle and the type of wood flooring you select. If your subfloor is already hardwood but you want to improve the look of your home with new material it is possible to lay engineered hardwood over the existing floor with proper preparation and traditional installation techniques. Wood flooring of this type would need an intervening underlayment.

With shaw floors new line of floorté waterproof hardwood i was able to install real hardwood flooring directly over my existing floors without any demo or prep work. When installing a floor over your existing floor you will want to choose an engineered wood floor that is at least 1 2 thick and over 4 3 4 wide. This condition would make direct installation over the wood difficult. Solid hardwood or engineered wood flooring may serve as bases for vinyl flooring.

Old solid hardwood can cup or swell over time too. I would recommend removing the tile and adding a plywood underlayment to the existing main subfloor to obtain the desired height then install the sheet vinyl. For instance solid hardwood flooring is typically nailed down during installation while tongue and groove engineered flooring is usually clicked together or completely glued down.