hardwood (not engineerd) for floating floor?
fausonk
16 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (7)
jerry_t
16 years agofausonk
16 years agoRelated Discussions
engineered hardwood floor over old hardwood floor
Comments (14)You need to do a little more archeological digging still. You need to know the whole construction of the floor before you can decide how best to install something new. I'd take up that plywood piece in the kitchen and see what's under it. It's higher than the surrounding floor, so needs to go. You should also be able to see from there what subfloor is under the original kitchen hardwood. It's too bad the space under your entryway is finished, but I'd still do some exploring from below to see what's under there, and to figure out the fix to stop it from squeaking. Is it drywall below or a drop ceiling? I know it probably seems like a pain to tear out drywall, but if you cut out a clean patch, like 2' x the width of the joists, it'll be relatively simple to repair. Just make sure to cut it down the center of the joists so that there's room to screw the patch piece to it later. Cut the hole under the area that squeaks the most, if you can. Have someone walk on and watch the floor from below to see what's moving. It might be as simple as pounding in a couple shims from below, or face-nailing a loose board from above. You want to find out what's underneath the hardwood. It might be laid directly on the floor joists, or there might be 10" wide boards that the hardwood is nailed to. Another thought is to take out a board in the hallway, since that's not original and you want to replace it. See what the subfloor is there. I am a bit puzzled at why, when you've stripped the kitchen down to the original hardwood, it's still higher than the hallway floor. Is your current surface perhaps not the original kitchen hardwood? Peeling back the plywood area will help determine that. BTW, I haven't heard of that stop squeaking product you linked to, so can't offer any personal opinion. And don't pour self-leveling compound over top of hardwood. It needs to go over plywood....See Morebuckling in floating engineered hardwood floor
Comments (8)An undercut saw or a toe kick saw okay. I will have to get myself one. The installer does not seem to care who his man hired and what his man did. My own contractor on the job said common sense would tell you. It is good product by Award Flooring. I was told this wood was very stable. my enivironment is not too moist. no no moisture problems. i have old subfloor up there and it is measuring fine. i had another man come up and take some moisture readings with his good delmholst. I have a patina relics wide plank 6. distressed engineered. It is in my cottage so why would i have put real hardwood. I have dogs this is the ideal flooring. Now i am hearing that the cracks-from what i have read-could be the glue settling and people walking on it. How long would it take glue to settle? This floor has been down two weeks. From reading about I now know get the subfloor and your wood reading no more thatn 4% in the difference. But this might be slightly different with wider planks? maybe. Do you know anything about glue drying. Could the cracks be the tongues breaking? My installer will not listen to me and won't tell me what he did with the float in install. I found nails-oh yes- in the hallway. the hall is not finished. So what do i have now a combo job. This was not a cheap job. I paid for complet flooring in the place plus some fiber flooring. thanks for your input. Greatly appreciated. I have a show down with this man on wedneday i have asked him to bring along his installer. He refused to cut an expansion gap and insists the floor does not need it. This is a man in the businness for 14 years. I have lots of pictures taken. i do not know if he taped the seams on the foam underlayment either. .......See Moreengineered hardwood floating floors - help choosing colour
Comments (2)Light woods will tend to make the room feel larger as opposed to darker woods....See MoreEngineered hardwood floor, float-in and room transition
Comments (3)SJ McCarthy, Oana, Thank you both. I did some more research, including calling Kahrs USA and a few local flooring companies. Here is what I learnt - - Kahrs customer service sounded fairly confidence that as long as my total dimension is within the numbers in that installation specification (40feet, 1/2 inch clearance at perimeter) no t-moulding is needed. - Local floor companies also expressed this(no t-moulding) isn't going to be a problem, as much as they are familiar with the business, they are not installation contractors. Then I sketched a my floor plan and drew expansion direction in each room and hallway. I have concluded this is going to be recipe for disaster, unless the expansion rate is really, really small, which i think isn't the case given the required 1/2 gap at the walls : - Assuming each area (rooms, hallway) expansion happens from center and towards walls, I'd have room expansion force, hallway expansion force going against each other at the door, given bedroom is much deeper, likely the stronger expansion force will push the boards in hallway towards the wall opposite of the bedroom, so the movement would be > 3x of the movement if hallway is expanding independently. - I have another room on the other side of the hallway, about 6 feet down, same thing would happen there, only on different side, this would push the hallway into a slight 'S' shape, which would be pretty visible given the hallway is pretty narrow. - Above only count for expansion perpendicular to board direction, the force along the board direction would also be different given hallway is much longer, it might not be a problem if the 'click lock' system allows adjacent board to 'slide' , but if that's not the case, the forces in my case, could rotate the boards at the door for contraction, things would be the same but at opposite direction. combine the seasonal expansion/contraction, my guess would be that in a couple of years I'd either see gaps between boards or the locking loosened. Now I understand why a expansion gap at the door is necessary, basically it absorb opposite movements in different directions. Given we don't want to see the speed bumps on our floor, looks like float-in installation isn't an option for us. Thanks! X.T....See Moreboxers
16 years agodermotc
16 years agojuddgirl2
16 years agoglennsfc
16 years ago
Related Stories
FLOORSWill Cork Float for Your Bathroom Floor?
Get the facts on advantages, disadvantages, costs and installation to see if a cork bathroom floor is right for you
Full StoryMATERIALSWhat to Ask Before Choosing a Hardwood Floor
We give you the details on cost, installation, wood varieties and more to help you pick the right hardwood flooring
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESContractor Tips: Smooth Moves for Hardwood Floors
Dreaming of gorgeous, natural wood floors? Consider these professional pointers before you lay the first plank
Full StoryGREAT HOME PROJECTSWhat to Know Before Refinishing Your Floors
Learn costs and other important details about renewing a hardwood floor — and the one mistake you should avoid
Full StoryFLOORS6 Alternative Flooring Ideas to Kick Up Your Style
Rubber, cork, concrete and other materials are worthy options in lieu of hardwood or tile
Full StoryBEFORE AND AFTERSHouzz TV: See Recycled Walls and Cool Cassette Art in a Woodsy DIY Home
Walnut countertops join hardwood floors and pieces made from leftover framing in a bright Spanish colonial
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESYour Floor: An Introduction to Solid-Plank Wood Floors
Get the Pros and Cons of Oak, Ash, Pine, Maple and Solid Bamboo
Full StoryDECKSDecking Materials Beyond Basic Lumber
Learn about softwoods, tropical hardwoods, composites and more for decks, including pros, cons and costs
Full StoryFURNITURENew Classics: The Jane Coffee Table
Hovering low and adding strong horizontal lines, this minimalist floating slab has beautiful proportions and a distinctive presence
Full StorySTAIRWAYSThe Upstairs-Downstairs Connection: Picking the Right Stair Treatment
Carpeting, runner or bare wood? Check out these ideas for matching your staircase floor treatment to upstairs and downstairs flooring
Full Story
Reuben Avery