Not sure I trust my hardwood floor contractor
6 months ago
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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 Morecontractor wanted to cut hardwood floor in house!
Comments (11)You did everything backwards if you finished all of your walls and woodwork before the floors. The floors come first. Now you are going to have to deal with moving everything out, lots of touch ups, and everything else. No contractor is going to take the job if they can't cut on the same floor as the job. Unless you pay a big upcharge. You are not being reasonable....See MoreCan I stay in my house while my hardwood floors are being refinished?
Comments (5)Even the water based polyurethanes require sanding prior to use. The sanding machines are going to be LOUD. If you are BELOW them you are going to think their machines are going to come down on your head at ANY minute. It would be best to take a day or two off and be elsewhere while the work is happening. I like to see customers stay in town during a flooring refinish. It means they are close enough to visit the site in the morning and evening. They can keep an eye on progress and are within a short drive should the installers come across something unusual that needs the owner to view it and then approve it. Dogs are territorial. They can be traumatized by super loud events in their home that they are not allowed to 'deal with' (ie. not allowed to bark, not allowed to chase the people away, etc). Again it is a good idea to have dogs and cats out of the space while the work is being done. The 'fumes' of the water based polyurethanes can be bad (if your finishers went cheap) or it can be tough but with enough dry time/airing out time it is livable within a day (high priced stuff). Without knowing what product you are getting on your floors, we cannot comment any further on odour. Odour is the number 1 cause for homeowners to leave the house for the first few nights after the job is finished (and the nights DURING the work). Again, the PRODUCT dictates odour...not your nose or your lungs. Personally I would make sure I have a stay-cation during the work/application of the finishes. And remember: the colder it gets the longer it takes for the finishes to cure and the less likely you are to open up all the windows (yet keep the heat pumping) to let the house air out. All of those factors will add up. Dogs' noses are many thousand times more sensitive than ours and their lungs are smaller. That means they can have more issues then humans when it comes to odour and off-gassing. Cats are the same. Besides, you need to stay off the floors until the full cure happens. The dogs have to as well....and the furniture. Area rugs are to stay off for SEVERAL months (many refinishers will tell you to leave the rugs off the floor for 6 months or more). As you can see, all of this adds up to the decision to leave the home (overnight stays) during work and while the floor is curing/off-gassing. Please tell us which finish you have paid for....See MoreAsk contractor to redo engineered hardwood floor for cleaner cut?
Comments (10)Concrete can have issues with 'flat' and level. In fact it is one of the worst substrates to get to sit level. It takes +++work (subfloor prep) to get it ready for a rigid floor - like hardwood. Even if this is a new build, concrete prep needs to be done. If this is a renovation, I'm guessing carpet was removed? Carpet hides HORRIBLE subfloor conditions. How much did you pay for the subfloor preparation? For concrete I like to see a range (listed AS A RANGE on the quote) from $2-$4/sf. Yes. I know that looks pretty big. It should be. Concrete is a PITA to level/flatten. Now onto the door...if there was carpet there, I'm going to guess the door used to catch the carpet just a snick. But the door didn't care because the carpet CRUSHED under the door and it was no big deal. Now you have a rigid, non-compressing, hardwood floor that stops the door in it's tracks. That's an issue. You need to trim the door or rip up the hardwood and grind down the concrete. Those are your two choices. As you can imagine, the door is easier....See MoreRelated Professionals
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