How do you install hardwood flooring over existing floor?
How do you install hardwood flooring over existing floor?
If you want to run the wood flooring parallel to the old wood flooring boards, you need to install a layer of 3/8 “thick plywood underlayment screwed down over the old wood flooring which acts as a separation and will allow you to run the new wood flooring in any desired direction.
Does it matter which direction you lay hardwood flooring?
The most common way to lay hardwood flooring is by aligning the planks parallel to the longest wall. Apart from a few exceptions like sagging joists, this is the preferred direction to lay wood floors because it aesthetically provides the best result.
Can a floating floor be nailed down?
Can you nail down laminate flooring? Laminate is designed as a floating floor, and as such, should not be fixed to the sub-floor. It will naturally contract and expand to changes in humidity and nailing it down will disrupt this.
Can hardwood floors run parallel to joists?
Hardwood flooring must be installed perpendicular to the floor joists or on a diagonal for any single layer subfloor. To run parallel to the joists, you’ll need to add a 1/2” plywood underlayment or brace every 16” between joists with a nominal 2”x 6” SPF nailed in place.
Which is the best way to install hardwood flooring?
Hardwood installations are most stable when they are installed perpendicular to the joists; but if your subfloor is sufficient, a parallel installation is acceptable. Ensure the subfloor is sufficiently level for installation–there should be no rises and falls more than 3/16 over a 6 foot span.
Do you need to level a concrete floor when installing hardwood?
When installing a basement hardwood floor, the concrete must be flat so the tongue and grooves of the hardwood meet and connect. Old basement slabs can crack and buckle in places. You need to fill any large cracks and be sure that the entire floor is level. Otherwise, you’ll need to level it.
How to install plywood floor over concrete slab?
Puncture bubbles to release trapped air. Install the plywood after the vapor retarder is in place. Loosely lay a nailing surface of 3/4″ 4′ x 8′ exterior plywood panels over the entire area, leaving a 3/4″ space at the wall line and 1/4″ to 1/2″ between panels.
Can a concrete floor be glued to hardwood flooring?
Solid parquet hardwood flooring can be glued directly to a concrete slab on grade or above grade with the use of a manufacturer recommended vapor retarder. Solid parquet should not be installed below grade.
Nail-down installation of solid wood is chosen by many homeowners because of its permanence. Once the hardwood is installed, the nails are hardly visible. This method requires a wooden subfloor, so if you don’t already have one, you either must remove the existing flooring to get to the wooden subfloor or create a subfloor with plywood.
What’s the best way to install click lock hardwood floors?
It only requires nails for the first row of boards. Here’s how to install click-lock hardwood flooring: Use 1/2-inch spacers to assist in maintaining the expansion gap between the first row of flooring planks and the wall. Put the first board up against the mason’s line with the groove side facing away from the walls.
When installing a basement hardwood floor, the concrete must be flat so the tongue and grooves of the hardwood meet and connect. Old basement slabs can crack and buckle in places. You need to fill any large cracks and be sure that the entire floor is level. Otherwise, you’ll need to level it.
How big of a subfloor do you need for hardwood flooring?
When nailing hardwood flooring, use a nail gun to speed up the process. Make sure you have a sturdy subfloor: 3/4-inch CDX plywood is preferred and 3/4-inch OSB is acceptable. Minimum 5/8-inch CDX existing wood floor or tongue and groove flooring is also acceptable. When reading up on how to install hardwood floors, understand that safety is key.