I have a friend that lives in a older home. His hardwood floors were put in in 1910. He has no subflooring and has some big gaps (along with soft spots and prior termite damage to the flooring). He is wondering whether he should just refinish the existing hardwood flooring or just get engineered wood flooring (plywood/wood laminate) and put over the existing flooring. If he does this, his original hardwood flooring would be his subflooring now. He's not sure on the best course of action to take. He's also concerned if he puts the new engineered wood flooring over the original hardware floor--since it would have to be installed w/glue--so if he had to take up the engineered flooring for whatever reason--it would damage the original hardwood flooring. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks.
My friend said his floor is not rotting. This is additional information from him: "I have some termite damage on some floorboards, but the softspots are more having to do with age, span between floor joists and no subfloor. My big question is not about installing a new floor over the old but about whether to refinsh what i have even though it's not perfect or installing a new floor."
Please review the original post along with this additional information and if you have any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I don't see how you can have floors without subfloor. There has to be some type of subfloor boards that should be 1x6. the floor would be like a spring board with no subfloor, if the floor doesn't go up and down when you walk on it more then likely there's a subfloor. As for your friends floor I would just repair the bad boards and then refinish.
If your friend can get to the framing below the floor then bracing can be added to remove or reduce the springiness. If he doesn't want to brace the floor then just refinish the old floor. A thin engineered floor will probably just break the tongues off when the old floor underneath flexes.
don't see how you can have floors without subfloor. There has to be some type of subfloor boards that should be 1x6
This is not a uncommon thing in an older home.
Most any floor he put over the top would damage the original to some extent. The idea to try to rebrace the floor from the bottom is a good idea. Then refinish.
Posts: 1740 | Location: North MN & Northern AR | Registered: Oct 01, 2002
Flooring from 1910! I would definitely repair and refinish, and only replace if forced to. The softness can most likely be repaired from below as suggested. I would not want to loose such vintage flooring.
