Can You Install Hardwood Floors Over Existing Hardwood Floors

It is standard practice to install the hardwood floors at a 90 degree angle across the floor joists to stabilize and strengthen the whole floor structure.

Can you install hardwood floors over existing 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. Do not sand any surfaces containing lead based finishes paints or asbestos. Whether or not you should install vinyl plank over hardwood is another matter altogether. 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.

For instance i will look at much older floors that were nailed into floor joists before the widespread use of subfloors. It does you no good in the long run to install a wood floor over an unknown subfloor. Fasteners must penetrate a proper subfloor by at least 5 8. 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.

If the existing subfloor is 3 4 thick solid and flat with no deflection when walked on you can run the wood flooring parallel with the floor joists to obtain a desired look. Vinyl is a versatile material that only requires a smooth even surface with sufficient structural integrity for a successful installation. Wood flooring can be installed over existing ceramic tile terrazzo or marble with proper underlayment or adhesives only on manufacturer s recommendation. 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.

Installing wood flooring requires a proper subfloor. If installing wood flooring over an existing wood floor there are some extra precautions. While acclimation with this product is not required we decided to err on the side of caution and allow 48 hours for acclimation before installing. You can install a vinyl plank over hardwood.

If you happen to find osb or particle board in any of the layers these will have to removed as the flooring nails never use floor staples will work them selves loose from these materials.