Hello all,

I have installed a number of prefinished hardwood floors for friends and family members with much success, so I am familiar with the basics. Every time, the flooring was installed over the subfloor. My house is a little different. For a couple of important reasons (the most important one not being laziness) I will not be ripping up the old hardwood before installing the new hardwood.

I will be installing prefinished, tongue and groove hardwood. When installing the new hardwood planks over the old I will be running them in the same direction. The old floor uses 2.25" planks and I was thinking of using the 2.25" as well.

Will I run into any structural problems (i.e. lifting or separation between planks) down the road because the new and old planks are the same size running in the same direction? If so, would going with the 3.25" for the new planks help?

It would be better if you ran them the other way . If that is not an option use the wider ones . The best way to do this would be removal of the old hardwood. Unfortunately its also the most expensive and time consuming. If this is true 3/4 hardwood your putiing down over another layer of 3/4 hardwood make sure the original is as secure as possible. Have you thought about the height difference in your floors. Transitioning through doorways and into other rooms where hardwood might not be being used. If Ive missed anything or if you have more questions post back. GOOD LUCK, AC

If you need to run them in the same direction try to off set the difference so the "brake" line is in the middle of the old floor gaps.
I lean towards ac101 on a complete redo if there is another sub floor under the T&G there now. If there is, it wouldn't take long to pry it up and now the evaluations are the same as ac101 also mentioned could be an issue.

Signed 21 Boat

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I know the best way is to rip up the old floor. The reason why I'm not is because I want to keep all the floors the same height without transitions. Right now I currently have asbestos tiles in the kitchen that are at the same height as the current hardwood floors. I definitely do not want to disturb the asbestos tiles.

I will definitely keep in mind what 21boat and AC101 said about offsetting. I might go with the wider boards as long as my wife likes the look of them in our small rooms.

If your existing hardwood is 3/4" t&g, then you might find it easier to rip it up and put down new plywood. It won't take too long once you get started. Use a circular saw with the depth set at 3/4 inch to start the cut and keep the edge square.

You may have to sand the plywood a bit at the edge if your hardwood has been sanded too may times, but otherwise it will turn out fine - been there, done that.

Trw travel, that sounds like a good idea. I had thought about that option a while back but it just slipped my mind.

One of the guys in my neighborhood mentioned putting down luan over the existing floor... but wouldn't you have to glue and nail that so it doesn't pop up? Something just doesn't seem right about that.

Logan check to see if there is a sub floor under the existing T&G floor and now the job is easier remove that.
Just on a side note is the T&G floor there now fairly decent? Have you checkout floor sanding it and refinishing it? After all isn't that the reason for all the craze to get a hardwood look now? Because we fell in love with the old beautiful hard woods that had more charterer then the process floor. The old refinished hard wood floors carry as much valve in not more than an engineered floor.
Just giving some food for thought. If you sanded it yourself and rented the sanders a TON on money can be saved here and restore a real T&G floor.

Signed 21 Boat

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21boat,
I would love to just sand what I have, but I moved a few walls. I know I won't be able to patch the gaps without making it look like a patch job. And I refuse to pay someone when I know how to put down T&G. Besides, I need all the money I can get for our first baby that's due in July!



All right, after reading and considering things so far, here's what I got...

I don't want to tear up the old T&G because I'd have to tear up the asbestos kitchen floor to keep everything the same height. Structurally speaking, if I have to go over a previously laid T&G floor, it's best to lay the new floor in the opposite direction. If I decide to go in the same direction, I should offset the boards or go with a larger width board.

Would putting down luan over the old T&G help in any way? Thanks... Logan

Logan I think if you make sure the old floor is secure then you will be okay. Im a little concerned about the height you'll be adding through doorways and under appliances etc. but those are issues that will have to be addressed on a case by case basis although I imagine cutting some doors is in your future. As far as luan goes I don't see it helping much and its just an extra 1/4 inch of height tou have you deal with. If it were me first choice tear out. Okay that's not an option . Next choice laying opposite direction if that won't work then go with the wider boards and secure the best you can. After you get the first few courses you will have an idea of how its going to hold. Just one more thought kind of out of left field but have you given any thougt to using a floating laminate floor.

Thanks Logan for asking this question! I have asbestos flooring in my mudroom, kitchen, and bathrooms, I am going to hardwood over my hardwoods, because some of them were painted, and I have about a 1/2" height difference in the baths, kitchen, and mudroom from the asbestos flooring. Im just going to tile over them.. I hate that I have a house full of orig 1912 hardwoods, that were painted, carpeted over, and covered with asbestos flooring. But I can't afford the abatement costs. Door heights for me are not going to be a huge concern because I'm removing them and assoc. trim that has been coated in vast amounts of Lead based paint.

-Chris