Once that existing wood flooring is ready to act as a subfloor, you will need to install your new floor at a 45-degree angle or perpendicular to the existing flooring. If you must install parallel to the existing floor, lay a minimum of 3⁄8-inch plywood over the top to increase stability.

What flooring can be installed over existing hardwood?

Which Floor Types Can You Install Over Existing Flooring?

  • Vinyl Tile.
  • Asbestos Tile.
  • Strip or Plank Hardwood Flooring.
  • Sheet Vinyl or Linoleum.
  • Ceramic Tile.
  • Glued Down Commercial Carpet.




Can you put new subfloor over old?

Before you decide to lay subfloor and new flooring over your old flooring, measure the distance from the bottom of the doors to the floor. Adding subfloor and flooring could raise the floor height 1 inch or more, depending on the type of flooring you choose.

Can I install floating floor over old hardwood?

Another advantage of floating floors is that they can be installed over an existing floor that you may want to save and uncover later (like an old wood floor that you don’t want to refinish just yet, but don’t want to put a bunch of holes in either).

Can I install wood floor over old hardwood?

Yes, you can install over an existing wood floor, provided it meets some important conditions. First, make sure doing so won’t create problems with height differences at areas such as transitions with other rooms and stairs.

Can I put new wood flooring over old wood flooring?





Wood flooring can be installed over existing ceramic tile, terrazzo, or marble with proper underlayment or adhesives only on manufacturer’s recommendation. G. Installing wood flooring over an existing wood floor.

Should I remove old hardwood before installing vinyl plank?

LVT planks have an incredibly realistic wood look, and vinyl flooring care and maintenance is a breeze. Here’s something even better. If you’ve been graced with authentic hardwood flooring, it isn’t even necessary for you to remove it before installing LVT!

Can you put subfloor on top of old subfloor?

Install a layer of at least ½” or preferably 5/8” ply over the existing planks. This is particularly important if your old sub floor has lumps and bumps in it. If you don’t respect this thickness of ply, then you’re highly likely to see rises and falls in your new flooring.

Do I need 2 layers of subfloor?

That’s the usual approach. Almost no one puts down double-thick subfloor in residential applications (for cost and handling reasons), and both layers need to be fastened to joists. Only thin underlayment can be fastened just to the subfloor.

Should I remove old hardwood?



Unless your floors are very old and thin or have structural or water damage, chances are they can be saved. If you want a new or exotic type of wood or are unhappy with the current pattern or thickness of your floorboards, you may want to consider replacing them.

Should you remove old flooring?

Generally, only if the floor is especially worn, or if you’re trying to remove it, do you come in contact with the particles. You should never, ever, sand or dry-scrape an older resilient floor, because that releases dust that may contain asbestos fibers.
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Is it better to refinish or replace hardwood floors?

In most scenarios, refinishing rather than replacing your hardwood floor is the ideal outcome. While refinishing hardwood can be a long and tedious process, it is much more cost-effective than a total replacement. During the refinishing process, all furniture will have to be removed from the room.

Can you lay floor over old floor?



If the current flooring is fixed to the subfloor and in good condition, you may be able to apply a new flooring over top. However, if the there are broken or worn parts of the current flooring, or if the subfloor itself needs some work, you will need to remove what’s there and start from the bottom.

Can you put vinyl plank flooring over existing floor?

Unlike tile floors, which have a very specific series of underlayment requirements, vinyl plank floors can be installed over existing flooring so long as it is clean of debris, in good repair and completely flat.

What is a floated floor?

Floating floors are, just as the name implies, flooring that can literally be installed to float above the subfloor or substrate (or in some cases old flooring and old subflooring if it can’t be removed).

What are the disadvantages of a floating floor?

Disadvantages of floating floors

  • Floating floors may need to be replaced more frequently. …
  • Floating floors may amplify sound. …
  • They can’t be refinished as many times (or at all) …
  • Humid environments can occasionally pose issues with floating floors. …
  • They can save you money. …
  • Floating floors are super DIY-friendly.

Why do floating floors fail?



The most common cause of peaking is no expansion in your floating floor between the walls/vertical surfaces, or the overzealous use of water. This “expansion gap” allows for the entire floor to expand/contract in situations of changeable weather conditions, for example when it is raining or when the weather is warm.

Can you float a solid wood floor?

Can any type of hardwood flooring be floated? You must only float engineered hardwood flooring over an underlay. Solid wood flooring is not structurally stable enough to be floated, so it must be fixed into position.

Is it better to glue or float hardwood floors?

If you are trying to decide between the two, then for engineered wood flooring floating is usually the best option as you can install it quickly and don’t have to worry about which glue to use and how long to wait for it to dry. If you are installing hardwood flooring then using glue may give you a more stable result.

Which is better glue down or floating floor?

Glue-down floors are better for rooms with heavy load and foot traffic because they’re more stable. On the other hand, floating floors have more room for warping and buckling that are triggered by changing temperature and moisture levels in the room.