How to Add New Hardwood Floors to Old Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors add greatly to the look of any room, providing an attractive, durable surface that will last for years with proper upkeep, while raising the value of a home. Adding a new hardwood floor onto an existing one removes the need for messy demolition of the existing floor, saving both time and effort and easing the complexity of hardwood floor installation. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Floor cleanser
- Straight edge
- Sander
- Floorboards
- Red rosin paper
- Nails
- Chalk line
- Spacers
- Drill
- Hammer
- Nail set
- Wood putty
- Tapping block
- Mallet
- Circular saw
- Blind flooring nailer
Instructions
-
-
1
Remove the wall mouldings and baseboards.
-
2
Clean the surface of the old hardwood floor completely with a mild floor cleanser.
-
-
3
Check that the existing floor is level using a straight edge. The new floor needs a solid level base, so drag a straight edge (a metal bar with an absolutely flat edge) over the surface of the floor, marking any high or low levels. The floor needs to have a surface that changes no more than 3/16th of an inch in any 8- to 10-foot radius. Use a sander to level the floor.
-
4
Place the floorboards in the room they're to be installed in for 72 hours to allow them to acclimate to the room's environment.
-
5
Cover the entire surface of the floor with an underlayment of red rosin paper. Staple the paper into place.
-
6
Mark a reference line for guiding your floorboard installation using a chalk line. Measure the width of the room at three points, place nails at the two center points nearest the walls, attach one end of the chalk string to a nail, and run the string to the other nail. Pull upwards on the string and then release it, snapping a chalk line to mark your centerline. For the reference line, snap a chalk line ½ inch from the starting wall parallel to the centerline.
-
7
Install the first row of floorboards along the reference line with the tongue side of the board facing the room, placing spacers between the boards and the walls to allow for an expansion gap. Pre-drill nail holes into the boards, 1 to 3 inches from the ends and ½ inch from the groove size, continuing to drill holes every 6 inches. Nail the boards to the floorboard beneath, using a nail set to countersink the nails, and filling the nail holes with a wood putty matching your floorboards.
-
8
Install subsequent rows of floorboards by locking the groove of the boards with the tongue of the previous row. Use a tapping block and mallet to create a tight fit for the boards. Cut and position subsequent rows so that board ends are offset at least 6 inches from the ends in the previous rows to add to the floor strength, and nail down the 2nd row.
-
9
Use a blind flooring nailer for the third row and up, placing the nailer on the tongue of the floorboard and hitting it to drive the nail. When there is no room to use the blind nailer, drive nails with the hammer. Cut the last row to fit, maintaining the expansion gap.
-
10
Finish the floor install by installing transitions at door openings, cutting any remaining underlayment, removing all spacers, and then placing the baseboards and mouldings.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Check all boards prior to installation for warps and defects, discard all unsuitable boards. Cut flooring planks face dawn using a circular saw. Mix planks from different boxes to avoid having rows of similar color or grain. For vents in the floor, cut the floorboards to fit prior to installing.
