How To Install New Hardwood Floors Over Old Hardwood Floors

To keep the new wood flooring level with other transitioning floors in your home consider using inch thick.

How to install new hardwood floors over old hardwood floors.

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. Solid wood floors should not be installed in basements or below grade. It will extend up the wall for about 2 to 3 inches creating a bowl where your wood floor stays dry and protected. 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.

Installing new hardwood over old hardwood floors. Before installing any wood floor over concrete you ll need a moisture barrier. 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. Or if the thickness of the floor will allow it staple to the existing floor.

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. Like unfinished hardwood floors the prefinished types typically have tongue and groove edges on all sides. If you will install on top the old floor boards have to be securely fastened try to avoid any loose floorboards. They are available in 3 4 inch thickness as well as low profile styles that are 5 16 to 5 8 inch thick which are a good or installing over existing flooring.

To save money and effort the best choice is to sand the old hardwood floor and to avoid installing the new one over the old floor. For instance i will look at much older floors that were nailed into floor joists before the widespread use of subfloors. 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.