The Flooring Expert

Q: Hello. I am ordering hardwood from iFloor that I intend to install myself, as I have some hardwood flooring experience. To obtain a finished look in the entrance area, I would like to replace the carpeting on our stairs with matching hardwood. There’s nothing “special” or unique about our stairs, but this is something I have never done. Regardless, I am confident that I can do this with the right know how. That’s where you come in. If this works for you, I’ll tell you what I know and maybe you can fill in some gaps, point out possible pitfalls, and give me any pointers that you feel will help the job come out well.

Tim
Cambridge, NY

A: Tim there is very little I'll need to help you on because you are already well informed. I'll admit I am a big fan of the white riser look to accent the treads on a set of hardwood stairs. After getting all of the carpet removed and cutting your stairs to be flush. You will need to be very precise with your cuts for the wood for the tread, so take your time.

I will admit, I prefer using solid stair treads over flooring and nosing (the links I am using are bamboo, but they serve as great visual examples); however, if you can't get solid treads don't be surprised if there is a slight difference in color between the nosing and the floor. This will be much like trim pieces where they will match as close as possible, but the wood used for trim tends to come from different portions of the tree than flooring, which will have a slight difference in appearance. Using a paint-grade poplar is a great idea and I would suggest going that route.

When installing the stairs, you should be using glue to install your treads and then nailing the along the scribe line at the back of the tread. A scribe line is a line used to mark the extent that the riser will cover the tread. This answers your other question, always install tread, then riser. This gives a clean professional look.

You will want to take time to rack out each stair, cutting the last plank in the tread that will go under the riser. This will allow you to easily install. After doing your cuts, lay out each tread and make sure they fit well. You'll then be ready to get to the install. Use a urethane based mastic adhesive to glue the treads in place. Spread the adhesive per the instructions from the manufacturer across the base of the stair then lay the tread into place. Start from the back riser and put each piece in place up to the nosing. Take extra caution not to get any adhesive on your fingers, this stuff will be messy and you don't want this to be on your treads. Once everything is in place, you must make sure the nose is snug and use a pull bar to ensure the boards are pulled tightly together. Remember to allow plenty of time for each tread to cure.

You will be gluing the riser in place as well and using a spread across the back of the riser. Remember to paint before hand, I know its obvious, but getting paint on those nice new treads would be terrible. I think this should cover all of your needs for putting in your stairs, but just as some extra help I have a picture that John R., one of our content designers, found to show a similar stair style to what you are going for. Notice in the image you can tell the tread goes beyond the riser, indicating that the riser was installed after the tread. Did I mention I really like this look?

Reply: I am very grateful for your detailed reply. That was a big help to me, and underscores the major reason why I placed my order with iFloor. It always eases my mind before going into the unknown to know that I know something about what’s unknown. Or at least to know someone who does. You know?

Thanks again, and take care,
-Tim

A: I'm glad we could help you so far Tim and that's why we're here, to help people make informed decisions in regards to flooring. Our CEO, Steve Simonson, is huge on education (as you well know if you read Steve's blog), so I am proud to be helping you out. Now, let's get back to the help part:

For the poplar I would say this is really based on how you want your stairs to look. My honest suggestion would be to measure the space between where you will add your risers and how the stair nosing will sit to get an idea of what you need. Honestly this will be fairly thin, but get a width that in the end will give you the look you want.

You will be using the same adhesive and will be applying to the back of the riser then install the riser. How long you need to wait is based on the adhesive you use. I would say always observe the instructions given by a manufacturer, especially with adhesives, but this is normally around 8 to 12 hours. Basically put, over night your stairs should cure enough to walk on without worry, but make sure to consult your adhesive's manufacturer's suggestions.

In regards to cutting, I have a few tips from Sean H., who used to work with custom molding before joining the team here at iFLOOR. If your using a circular saw, make sure to use a blade designed for ripping with a lot of teeth. The more the better. The same philosophy applies for a jig saw. Now, when cutting, you want the impact of the blade occurs on the back side of the flooring. So if your using a circular or miter saw have the face of the floor up, for jig or table saw, have the floor face down. Another great tip from Sean, is to use some tape along where you are going to cut (pretty sure masking tape will be a great bet) to reduce the amount of blow out you get when making your cuts.

I really looking forward to hearing back from you on your project Tim and good luck!

Q: After pulling up the carpeting in my living room, I found red oak hardwood floors. However, they're 40 years old, and in poor condition due to water and pet stains. I was considering having them refinished, but due to logistics problems (where to put the furniture, where to live while the work is being done, etc) I think a prefinished hardwood floor would be an excellent alternative. Aesthetically, I would need to run the strips in the same direction as the current floor. I was told that it's not a good idea to nail the new flooring to flooring running in the same direction. Would it be a better idea to rip up the current floor and nail the new floor to the subfloor? How difficult would that be? Would the bumps left from the nail holes be a problem?

Mike P.

A: Nailing a new hardwood floor in the same direction of a pre-existing hardwood floor is a bad idea. The major reason behind this is a matter of stability. In this case, if you are unwilling to take the time to repair and refinish the original floor (which I would not suggest based on your mentioning of water damage) you will want to remove the existing hardwood floor and replace it with a new floor.

The pre-existing nails should be no issue after removal, although I would heavily suggest hiring a professional for this project as removing a pre-existing nailed down floor can be tedious and will take a few days. Once the old floor is removed, you will need to examine the subfloor below, check for areas where you may need to screw down areas to reduce squeaking. Afterward you can then install your new floor.

As I said before, I would suggest consulting a professional for this project, but if you take plenty of time this can be a good DIY project (although it might be a bit strenuous).

Q: My wife and I just bought an apartment in March. The poly on the wood floor is bubbling, peeling and flaking off. The builder says he'll only pay for screening and 2 coats of poly which is $200.But the flooring guy says it needs sanding, sealing and 3 coats of poly which costs $749. How can I tell what I need?

Thanks for your help!
-John

A: When a finish is flaking off, it means somewhere in the application process an issue occurred. Usually this means the finish dried too quickly or that the chemicals in the finish did not set properly, although there is a myriad of other reasons that can cause this issue.

The screen process will buff the top layer of finish (rough it up/scuff it lightly) in order to apply a new layer of finish. If your having flaking issues, screening the floor will not resolve this. Your floor will need to be sanded down to remove all of the finish, then sealed and refinished. Normally 3 coats is a safe bet when doing a fresh finish, which is a good suggestion from the flooring guy you spoke to.

Q: I want to remove the carpet on my stairs and install hardwood planks. Is there a way to install them without leaving nail indentations on the planks. I am also looking for instructions on installing the hardwood plank stairs. Any information you can give will be greatly appreciated.

A: When your installing a nail or staple-down floor, you will only top nail the first and last rows. To cover the indentations created, you will want to use a color matching floor putty. All of your other rows of flooring will be nailed at a 45 degree angle through the top of the tongue. Below is a link to our guide on nail-down installations which includes a great video that we worked with Westhollow to make.

Nail-down Installation Page

In regards to your stairs you will be gluing the planks and nosing in place, not nailing. You will use some nails to anchor the last row, but this nailing should be done behind the scribe line. Your scribe line marks the extent of what you riser will cover. Here's a quick break down for installing hardwood stairs:

1. Make sure you remove all debris from the stairs, this includes drywall mud or paint that may have ended up on the stairs under your carpet.
2. Ensure your stair's nosing is flush with the riser before installing your new hardwood. This may involve some cuts.
3. Measure for cuts, as they need to be exact.
4. Start with the nosing first and then work back with your planks to the riser. At first, just lay the wood out to make sure your cuts were done properly. Pull the planks together tightly and ensure the nosing is snug against the riser of the next stair.
5. For your installation, start at the bottom of your stairs and work to the top.
6. After mocking up the tread portion and riser for each store, then begin with the nosing and glue along the back of the tread portion in an s-curving fashion. Put the nosing into place and then lay the planks, gluing in similar curving fashion. You can also spread an adhesive using a trowel along the tread of the stair, then lay the nosing and planks. Ensure to make the nosing snug and pull the planks together tightly.
7. Nail along the last row behind the scribe line, but not too close to the back of the plank as this can cause cracking.
8. After installing the tread, install the risers, these should be glued into place.
9. Give the stairs plenty of time to cure before walking over them.
10. Install any transitions you may need at the top of your stairs and your done.

Q: After the laminate flooring is installed, I plan to move the large (8' tall) bookcases that are currently in a small hard-wood-floored bedroom to the newly floored room. These bookcases will line at least one wall, possibly two facing walls, and then be filled with books. I decided to go with laminate flooring because I was concerned that they would not be particularly stable on the current floor covering (carpeting). They are now and will be pretty heavy. Is there a problem with that, particularly since that will keep the laminate from using its "breathing space" near the wall? Is there anything special I should do?

Melinda

A: With such large bookcases, I would suggest putting the book cases in place before installing your new laminate. With how floating floors work, putting such heavy objects on one side of the floor near a wall will tilt the floor a bit and is bad for the stability of the floor. In the case of pianos, they don't line an entire wall so you can make that work, but with 8' tall book cases across an entire wall I would heavily suggest installing the floor after putting in the book cases.

Follow-up Q: I'm glad I asked! I haven't removed the carpet yet, and thus am not sure of the look of the underfloor. But when we move out some day, we'll take the bookcases with us. The resulting holes along the edge of the walls will not be pretty. But, assuming we do put the bookcases in over the subfloor, then put in the laminate flooring up to the bookcases (with expansion room), would we be looking at some transition element, like a baby threshold, alongside the bookcases?

But maybe laminate flooring is not the solution. Do you have any other recommendations? I can use a saw, hammer, level, straightedge, and lever, and didn't figure laminate flooring required gobs of strength, just patience.

A: If you have a wood subfloor, I would look into a floor you can nail down (3/4" solid being your best bet). Solid floors that are directly anchored to a floor will have no issue with your book cases. The other major benefit to a solid hardwood is it adds great value to your home. Laminate will add some value, but in the end it is laminate. (The good ones are durable as all get out though!) You can also look at an engineered hardwood floor, but make sure to use a harder wood with minimum hardness of white oak. (Avoid American Cherry, Black walnut and similar soft woods as they will dent under the book cases). Westhollow and Woodstock make some excellent solid and engineered hardwood floors (for this project I would suggest a pre-finished floor as the finish for these two companies is rather tough).

When it comes to transitions if you use a floating floor I would suggest using end caps/square nose. These will give the floor a smooth looking end to the floor and can go up against the book cases.

In regards to the platform-like approach for your book cases. You could build an area of flooring just for the cases, then put in t-molds to cover the gap between that and the remainder of the floor, but honestly I would look into a nail-down application for this project, as floating floors aren't designed to handle large furniture as effectively.

Q: I am considering laying a high end 9/16" thick x 3-3/4" wide engineered oak floor over concrete in 3 rooms and 2 hallways. I intend to glue the floor to the concrete. Except for one hallway, the rooms and a second hallway are all part of a common area. The total area is 860 sq feet.

I sincerely appreciate any advice you can offer to assure a successful outcome with this project.....
Bill Rahm

A: The advice you have been given is correct. As long as your drywall is installed properly you should only need a 3/8” gap; however, if you want to be safe, use a 1/2” gap. A very important thing to note is th ensure you under cut your door jambs to account for the height of the floor.

The big benefit of an engineered floor is the ability for the floor to control expansion and contraction from the cross-ply lamination used to make the product. I would heavily suggest looking into a product with seven or more plies. This will control your expansion/contraction concerns without need for transitions.

Beyond this, the only suggestion I can give you is to use a good glue, such as Bostik's Best. Take time with your installation and follow all of the suggestions and your floor project will come out great.

Q: I want to put wood flooring in my walk-out basement. Since it is below grade, I understand that I need to use an engineered wood floor.

Thank you.
Kathryn

A: VOC content in adhesives is heavily based on manufacturer, as each engineered floor uses a different adhesive. Your best bet to find a floor which is easier for you when it comes to VOC content is to research the emission ratings of the floors you are interested in. Look for E0 or E1 as these are the two lowest ratings. You may have to contact manufacturers directly to get this information as it can be difficult to find at times.

However, I do have a bit of information that will help make this much easier. Look into a 5/16” solid hardwood. Due to the design of these floors, they are stable enough to be installed over concrete and below grade. With the 5/16” solid you will only encounter the glue used to adhere the floor to your subfloor and none in the product. Westhollow carries a great 5/16” collection.

Follow-up: Kathryn and I have spoken a bit more on her project. Looking into both 5/16" solid and laminate as possible choices for her floor. Here's a follow-up email I received:

Thank you for referring me to the Westhollow products. I did look at the 5/16" solids and they are beautiful. And, there is a store in Melbourne, FL so I can look at the actual products.

** I do have a question about the Westhollow laminates. Do these have a E0 or E1 rating? I read the descriptions and noticed that they were made with a high density fiberboard (wood shavings and resins). My guess is that these would probably off-gas. Do you have any information? **

From a website called, GreenGuard.com, I got the names of two manufacturers who are certified to have low/zero emission laminates. They are DuPont and Wilsonart. I also learned that EcoTimber produces a low emission engineered wood floor.

Thanks again and I look forward to your response.

A: As I recall off hand all Westhollow products are E0 or E1 rated, but I'll get in touch with Ryan W., who is our product guru here just to make sure. Wilsonart has always made great products, but to get the really good laminate they make you do shell out a few extra bucks.

One thing to keep in mind with Laminate is to have a good underlayment to remove the hollow or "clicky" noise these floors produce when they are walked over. Although there is some resin used to create the high-density fiberboards, they are super durable floors. We recently did some Tabar testing on several floors for Westhollow as we wanted to compare solid and engineered hardwoods against bamboo and laminate floors to get some ideas of where each floor will perform.

No surprises showed laminate to be the top dog when it comes to abrasion, durability, dent resistance and even moisture resistance. However, the engineered hardwoods performed very well, getting rather close to laminate in each test.

The one benefit to the 5/16" solid I suggested is they perform well like an engineered will for durability, but they are a solid hardwood so they add great value to your home. However, if durability is your large concern, laminate and engineered woods will be your better bet. I'll shoot a quick email over to Ryan and get back to you with the emission ratings for the Westhollow products. Have a good one!

As a bit of follow-up Ryan W. let me know that all of Westhollow's newer laminate collections were tested to be E1 on the emission standards, perfect for folks with a chemical sensitivity. This includes the Heritage Standard, Silencer American Traditions and Silencer Exotic Antiquities.

Q: I am looking at maple hard wood flooring from RONA. They have a wonderful deal on at the moment, about 3 Canadian dollars a sq foot. It looks wonderful, the manufacturer is Foresta. I asked what I should put under the floor before laying onto a wood sub floor. They said I should put nothing down except if I wished to use a resin paper? What is this resin paper? Also they explained I would nail it down with the proper nails and use a nail gun. What do you think of the information I have given you, does it sound fair? Do you know Foresta flooring?

Regards, Jason

A: For your first question about resin paper. This is a paper used to make it easier to slide boards into place and to reduce the potential for creaking noise made when walking over a hardwood floor. This paper is also referred to as Kraft paper or 15lbs. Roofers felt. In some cases you may wish to use a heavier paper, as this can help reduce a bit more noise potential, but it is not necessary.

I would suggest using the paper, as most professional installers will always use a paper before installing a nail or staple down floor.

In regards to Foresta, I will admit I don't know them very well. For Canadian flooring producers the major manufacturer I know is Preverco. Preverco makes some excellent flooring at good prices.

Q: My wife and I bought a new house that has an existing oak staircase (in excellent shape, about 7 years old), and carpet upstairs. We'd like to install hardwood floor upstairs, but we're not sure how to match it to the staircase -- first, we're not sure we'd ever be able to find the exact same colour, and, second, that colour is not really our favourite anyway. My question is: what is usually done in this case? Should we go ahead and do our new floors in our favourite colour, and forget about the mismatch with the stairs, or will that look weird? Should we also restain or re-floor the stairs to match the new floor?

Thanks!
Stan

A: There are two schools of thought when it comes to floors in a home. Either make all of the wood flooring the same, so you keep a uniform flowing appearance or have each area floored differently to give unique feels in each new room.

Since you dislike the color of the current stairs I would not directly suggest trying to match the existing floor. Wood floors will naturally darken over time, although oak is less likely to darken as drastically, some darkening has probably occurred since it was installed.

At this point you can either leave the stairs and install a floor you like in the carpeted area or remove the stairs as well and make the entire area in the floor of your choosing. If you want the more professional look (and to have the stairs in a flooring that suits your taste) I would suggest replacing the stairs at the same time. If you are looking for a different stain to the oak, you will want to get the stairs and the new floor site stained and finished to ensure it has an even color. This can be very expensive so you might want to replace the stairs at the same time.

If you choose to replace your stairs, I would highly suggest finding solid stair treads and risers for your floor if they area available as this gives a much better appearance (my example here is bamboo, but it will give you a visual idea of what to look for). It can be difficult to find solid treads and risers for many floors, but they are well worth it when you can get them.

When it comes to stairs, installation can be very difficult so I would suggest looking into a professional installer such as our team here at iFLOOR.com to make sure everything is done just right. If you plan on doing this as a DIY project, take your time and make sure you get everything you need in order ensure this install goes without a hitch. So do your homework and make sure all your measurements are dead on.

Q: I am wanting to replace the carpet and vinyl in an “L” shaped area that is my living (approx 310 sq. ft.) and dining area (approx 110 sq. ft.) with wood floors. My home is only 5 years old, located in Charlotte NC with a concrete slab sub floor. I am very interested in the Westhollow Wood 3/8” Engineered 3” Bubinga Deep Cognac floor and I plan on installing it myself. I have no animals that can scratch the floor and everyone takes their shoes off when you enter the house. My questions are as follows:

Susan S.

A: The Bubinga flooring from Westhollow is a great floor. Being an engineered, its built to resist expansion and contraction from temperature and is also built to float or be glued to a concrete subfloor. Is this a good choice? Yes, especially if you love the color.

We recently had a new batch of the Bubinga come in, so I took a trip over to our sample department to get acquainted with the new batch of this great floor. If you're looking for a rich color, the Bubinga is amazing. With any floor, I would highly suggest getting samples to actually have a piece of the floor in your hand. Another suggestion I have is to order multiple samples of a floor your set on, then put a few of them together and lay them down. This will give you an idea of how the edges look.

With the Westhollow engineered products, they have a great species/wear layer and in the case of the Bubinga the color goes all the way through the species layer. What your neighbor's floor is (by my guess of course) is a stained floor, where the stain is not through the product, so different colors can be seen. Also, the micro bevel on this product helps accent the individual boards while still allowing you to see only the rich color of the floor. This is the major benefit of any bevel, it will accent each board, but with a micro bevel you will have no worries of dust accumulation as the bevel is so slight.

A straight or square edge will show each board less dramatically. One issue that can occur with square edges is that slight differences in floor height become more obvious than when you have beveled edges.

As far as showing dust, darker colors will show dust more than light colors (just like cars). You will see a bit more dust with this floor than something like a white oak or natural maple, but if you keep up a good cleaning schedule (about once a week) this should really be no issue.

For underlayment, I highly suggest using Cork. The reasons behind Cork being such a superb underlayment are numerous, but the big things to focus on here is the density of the cork and the sound suppression granted by Cork. This will give you a comfortable yet solid feeling and sounding floor. This will make it sound a bit more like a 3/4” solid floor. Keep in mind, this is only if you intend to float the floor.

If you have heavier furniture (book cases, entertainment centers, etc) you may want to look into gluing this floor down. Should you go this route I would highly suggest having it done by a professional, but with a good cork underlayment you should be ok to float this floor without issue. In the case of a glue down, iFLOOR's installer in the Charlotte area, Jose N., is amazing. Recently he was given an 11 out of 5 star rating from a customer which speaks for the work and service he provides. (For the Spinal Tap fans, Jose goes to 11).

One thing to keep in mind is smaller widths (like the 3” vs the 5” Bubinga) will make a room seem larger, but this also happens with lighter colors. The bevels, which accent each board, will also help to make it seem like there are more boards in the floor, thus helping to open the room up. The darker hue of this floor will give it a bit of a formal look, but also the great color is one that is a real treat to see, so it will definitely be seen when someone enters your home.

Here's a few tips. This is a glue-together floor when it is being floated. This means you will need to use a tongue and groove adhesive between each board to anchor the boards together over the floor. Usually you will use a thin 1/8” bead of glue in the groove then slide the tongue of the next board into place, but always follow the suggestions from the manufacturer.

Order a couple of samples so you can see this floor in person. Put a few of the samples together to see how the edges will look and get a feel for the floor in your home (although I'm sure you'll love it, I do). My final tip would be to take your time if you're going to install this yourself. I do encourage you to visit our team down at the Charlotte store and get any tips they may have for you. Nate B. has a great floor in his home from Westhollow and I'm sure he can give you some great insight from his own experiences with his floor in the Charlotte area.

My final tip is to acclimate your floor. Give the floor plenty of time to acclimate to your home (I suggest a week or more). This will help to prevent any expansion and contraction issues because the floor should be accustomed to the environment of your home and will ensure your remains beautiful 10 years from now, just as it was when it was installed.

Q: We're buying a new townhouse which will have hardwood flooring throughout the first floor. We've never had hardwood floor before and have had a very difficult time deciding what type of wood to go with as well as color. We've finally decided on one of our builder's options which is Bruce Turlington American Exotic 5" maple plank, color natural (with the help of ifloor where we ordered a box of the caramel color to help us decide).

Sincerely,
Ruthie B.

A: As a preface, decoration ideas are highly opinionated in regards to what looks great versus what looks terrible. What I will try to do is give you some installation sound ideas on how to break up the “bowling alley” feel.

Installing at an angle, when done properly and with care, can bring a great effect to a home; however, I would not suggest it for something like a hallway. Most angled installations are done in larger open rooms, as this is where they will perform better.

One of the reasons some folks choose to install hardwood floors is to make a room seem larger. The plank appearance of wood gives a natural feeling of openness and elongation – so that bowling alley look is exactly what should happen. Don't despair though, there are plenty of ways to work around this.

The easiest idea would be to use runner sized area rugs (usually 2-3ft by 8ft or so). This will naturally deter attention and break up the floor some. Another idea is installation based.

This technique comes from Tad A., our Director of the Installation Program here at iFLOOR.com. Tad suggested building a foyer like break in the flooring. I've drawn a very basic mock-up from looking at the photos you included to give you an idea of how this would work. If you combine this with an area rug a bit farther down the hallway past your stairs you will get the best of both worlds, a great looking entryway and some additional break up with a well placed rug to accent your decor.

For the foyer like break, use a 2 or 3 board border, then install inside of it. Due to the width of your planks I would suggest using a 2 plank border. Your foyer can be anything from simple to a bit more artistic and difficult, though any good installer should be able to accomplish this installation easily. The border will be similar to a picture frame and you will want to use a bit of glue at the edges to ensure it anchors very well to the subfloor. From the border, you can install the dining room and hallways in differing orientations, but it will still flow well since the entire floor is the same wood and is connected to the entryway.

For the foyer you would be creating (assuming you like Tad's suggestion as I feel it gives great potential to add some unique look appearances to your home) there are several artistic designs you can look into. Another thought would be to buy 1 - 2 boxes of a different color of the same floor and intermix a few of these boards in order to add some additional color to the floor and break up the hallway even more. Below I have drawn up a few design ideas including a few with some tile inserts (or you could use wood medallions) to give people something beautiful to look at the moment they enter your home.

Here are a few various designs including some using the herringbone technique for installation at a 90 degree angle and a few designs with some area for tile insets. Tile could be replaced with carpet or mosaics for various appearances.

Q: I recently requested and received multiple samples of engineered hardwood flooring from iFloor.

DEAN H.
WINSTON-SALEM, NC

A: Bellefloor makes great engineered floors with a good variety of exotic species (I'm a big fan of the Rosewood and Asian Mahogany). I love the products they make and have heard great reviews from a vast majority of our customer who have purchased it in the past. One of the big advantages with the Bellefloor product is the thickness of the species layer. Its thicker than many of the engineered products out there and has 7 plies, which gives it more durability against expansion and contraction.

Floating is one of the best methods for installing over concrete, but keep in mind a few things for this project, as it will most likely see some decent foot traffic. Since Bellefloor is a tongue and groove style floor, you will need to use a tongue and groove glue to anchor the floor together. I would choose a very good underlayment for this, preferably 6mm cork as this will stand up to the traffic a bit better and will still feel good under everyone's feet.

The big plus to floating is that should damage occur it is easier to replace boards than glue down (even when you need to use T&G glue). Also, this installation tends to be easier and is far less messy. Also, the potential for error with glue down installs is very high if not done by an experienced installer.

To sum up – Bellefloor makes quality engineered floors with several plies and a great species layer and selection. For your case, I would suggest a floating install with 3mm cork underlayment at a very minimum (6mm preferred).

Q: We are building a new home in Western North Carolina, it is concrete slab on grade. No crawl space. We want to install 3/4 hardwood floor's. What is the best sub-floor to install over the concrete? What is the best method to attach the sub floor? Thanks for your help.

Needs Help,
George in NC

A: George and I have traded email back and forth for a bit and with some great insight from Gene D., we have a good solution to George's question. We found out the home is in the ground breaking stage and Gene had a great build based suggestion instead of gluing down directly to the concrete:

If I were building or intending to build a new home, I would make the necessary adjustments to accommodate such an install. That would include the installation of 2" x 4" cut in half to act as sleepers (glued and shot in place) on 12" centers then the installation of exterior grade 3/4" plywood, then resin paper followed by 3/4" nail down. The cost on this is surprisingly close to the cost of the adhesive that would be required to make this installation.

Gene also mentioned how a glue-down install to the concrete with 3/4” solid would be toast if it got wet. Now the reason behind this is because of how much movement can occur in a 3/4” solid should the floor absorb water from a large spill, water heater bursting or similar incident where there is liquid beyond normal cleaning, the floor will move and warp. Glue down installs do not allow for much movement nor for a whole lot of breathing room as far as the floor is concerned.

The subfloor spec Gene suggested creates a breathable subfloor which will prevent movement and be sturdy to boot. George asked about the possibility of floating two layers of 3/4” plywood for a subfloor then nailing to that. This would be a big no no, as it is not stable nor is it safe in the unfortunate event of moisture occurring. Should something cause the floor to move (such as humidity, water spills, or temperature changes beyond the norm) the entire floor would move in panels as the subfloor moved below.

Another thing to keep in mind here is price. Glue down floors tend to be fairly pricey, and the treated plywood required for George's floating idea also comes with a decent price tag. The sleeper set up, using treated lumber, is actually a fairly economical choice that, as an end result, will give far more stability and life for the floor as a whole. End result – if your building a home, this is a great way to spec the home and it won't cost much more to do when its spec'd in at the beginning.

Q: I am thinking of installing an engineered wood floor in my kitchen – Kahrs brand – can we install the wood flooring directly over the vinyl or does the vinyl need to be removed and an underlayment used. This is a second floor installation.

Lisa

A: As long as the vinyl is still in good condition, you should be fine to install a floating floor over it, but I would be safe and use a moisture barrier. Since you are installing on the 2nd level of your home, moisture barrier is not necessary, but again it can be a precaution. Although not necessary if this is roll vinyl, I would use it anyway as it will be the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy should something unfortunate occur where moisture seeps up through the vinyl from the subfloor.

If the vinyl is in poor condition, such as raising at seams or damaged in places you will want to remove it and any glue residue before installing your Kahrs floor. Keep in mind, with all floating installation you must use an underlayment.

If you intend to install this floor using glue or nails, you must remove the vinyl and all residue from the vinyl's adhesive before installing the wood floor. The good news here is that Kahrs make some excellent floating engineered floors and you should have great success with their product. As I always suggest, use a premium underlayment rather than less expensive foam underlayments to get a better sound and feel from your floor, as well as a longer life span from the underlayment.

A quick note from Tammi L. a member of iFLOOR.com's online sales team:

I always tell people in this case that another reason to remove the vinyl is they are adding height to their flooring by keeping it. Also- some installers will tell them if their is vinyl down they can forgo using an underlayment, which I do not agree with.

Q: I am nearly finished with my DIY engineered wood floor installation (my first). The floor is in my basement and it is installed over Dri-core tiles. For added protection, I laid down appropriate matting as a moisture barrier. I stapled the floor down but now I have a couple of follow up questions:

Thanks for the help.
Anthony

A: Based on how you have stapled, the only worry you should have is that the floor can potentially move a bit more, as it is not as firmly anchored. Realistically, it should not be a huge issue, but potentially it can cause problems. Without knowing what specific floor you have, the floor itself should be fine to bear the load you are mentioning. Floors with 7 or more plies are very good at bearing loads, but keep in mind this is dependent on the quality of the floor itself. Some floors have many plies using a very cheap substrate, which leads to a lower quality product. As long as you use the cushions as you intend, I don't foresee any issues with putting such gym equipment on your floor.

In regards to your stair issue, this is actually a bit easier than you think. Based on your description, I'm guessing you have an open face set of stairs and this is where you intend to do your miter work. If so, all you really need to do is make 45 degree cuts on your stair nosing so you can make 90 degree angles to cover the sides of the tread. Below I've included a quick sketch to illustrate this. Just make sure you take your time on this portion of cutting and installation to ensure it looks good.

Q: I want to replace the wall-to-wall carpeting in my house with either hardwood or bamboo flooring. I hesitate to do so because I have two large dogs (50 and 65 lbs, respectively) and am concerned they will damage the floor with their nails and toys. I am looking at light to medium natural shades. Should I give up my dream of beautiful wood flooring? Thanks for your help!

Tina

A: When it comes to our furry companions and floors, certain things must be taken into account before making a flooring decision. My first suggestion will be a regiment of care for your dogs. The best way to ensure your pets and don't damage your floor is to ensure their nails are trimmed and in the case of longer haired dogs, to ensure their fur is not covering the pads of their feet. A great tip passed on to me from my good friend Nate B. over at the Charlotte, NC location is that if you prevent fur from covering the pads of your dog's feet, they will not dig into the floor with their nails as much. The reason behind this is that dog's naturally use their nails when they lose grip from their pads.

The next major tip would be to keep a good maintenance schedule. The less dirt and grit on your floor, the less likely these things will get dragged across your floor by your feet or your pets.

Now in regards to the actual flooring to use, this becomes a matter of opinion normally, but let's stick to the facts to give us the best information here. Bamboo, in the natural variety, is harder than white oak (at a Janka hardness of about 1410) meaning it resists denting better than the "norm" of wood flooring. Abrasion resistance will come from the finish on the floor. Look for a floor with several coats of a good finish with aluminum oxide. Panda and Westhollow both make great bamboo flooring featuring the patented Klumpp finish, which is a UV cured polyurethane with aluminum oxide. This is a tough finish that can take a good deal of abuse and looks great.

For hardwood, you will have similar aspects to look for as you do with bamboo. Harder wood species will be more dent resistant and abrasion resistance will come mostly from your finish. Again be looking for a good finish that includes aluminum oxide. Bruce, BR-11, Westhollow and many others all make great products for hardwood with good finishes.

Another thing to consider here is engineered vs solid. Depending on your subfloor you may be limited here, but consider the pros and cons to each type before making a decision. The big benefit to an engineered would be the benefit of having a cross-ply laminated product. This means it will give a bit more dent resistance along with resistance to expansion and contraction due to temperature changes. The down side to an engineered is that you get a lower number of times the product can be refinished.

Solids are the traditional hardwood (normally 3/4"). The big benefit is the number of refinishes possible along with the great value these floors add to a home. The downside here is that it is less stable than an engineered (meaning more expansion and contraction).

Should you give up the dream of a beautiful wood floor? Of course not! If you are ultimately worried about damage to a new wood floor, look into laminate. Good laminate is super tough and can stand up to some serious abuse, but with proper care so can many wood floors.

Q: How would I use wood as a border around travertine tiles? I would like the wood to border each individual tile.

Gail

Before getting into an explanation of how this process is done, I followed up with Gail to get some extra info on her project.

The travertine is 18". I was thinking it might look good if blocks of 4 pieces of tile to make a 3' square were bordered in wood. It would be in a nook and a kitchen. It is a home that is under construction and it is a cement foundation. The nook is 12'x17' and the kitchen is 17'x20'.

Thanks!
Gail

A: The first thing you will need to look into is a product that can be glued down and fits your desires here. Your best bet will be an engineered hardwood to get a thick enough floor that can be glued.

The process of doing this installation is critical and will require some planning. Also keep in mind you may need to buy a bit of extra flooring to account for all of the cut work that will occur here. For prep work, first ensure to give the wood plenty of time to acclimate. The wood should be within 2% or the moisture rating of the subfloor before installation. You will then need to map out the installation. During this time decide on how wide of a wood border you want around the tiles. Based on how wide your boards are, this may require a multiple plank wide border. On a job like this layout is everything. Pencils first, then chalk lines and hair spray. You might be thinking "hairspray?" and my response is a simple yes. A great tip from Gene D. is to use hair spray over the chalk lines because unlike a lacquer thinner it will not ruin how the mortar sets. If nothing is sprayed over the chalk lines, you are likely to ruin the lines while moving over the area as the installer will be spending a bit of time down on the floor mapping out the floor and doing the install itself.

Then rack out the wood portion by laying out each board. Since you will be using the wood as a border, you will need to lay out either the vertical or horizontal rows (choose one) then rack out the opposing row to make a matrix like pattern. The goal here is to leave enough room for each tile along with any grout needed (depending on your install here) between the boards. Also, this is a great time to ensure your measurements and cuts are done well.

Once you are ready to install, you will need to install the wood first. You may have to shim the engineered material to come up to the 3/4" nominal height of installed granite. (1/2" material and 1/2" square notch trowel will provide a mortar bed that will compress to 1/4" when set) I would also suggest the use of a tile schluter as long as you are going through all of this work, other wise you can expect faults in his grout work as the seasons change and years go by. Make sure you have plenty of expansion room around the border of the entire floor. Give the adhesive time to cure before installing the travertine. Once the adhesive has cured, then install the travertine and grout if you intend to grout. You may need to use a bit of filler putty in places to ensure it looks smooth and appealing.

With an installation like this, you have a lot of room for the design aspect. I found a picture to show something done in a kitchen with stone tile. As you can see in the picture below, with some angular cuts you can get a very nice effect at the joints around the tile. With a multiple plank border, you could also do some other design aspects such as a picture frame style border.

Q: I am looking at the Saso quick click longstrip in the walnut natural 2-strip and I could not find any information on the internet. Is this a new company? How is their product? I am looking to install it over a slab floor. I also have kids and pets so I need it to hold up well. I just need to know more about this product before I buy as I could not find any info.
Thanks

A: Saso is a floor iFLOOR.com recently began to carry. The flooring itself is rather well built. The plies are thicker than many of the engineered hardwoods on the market and it has a good species layer. The benefit here is that you get a higher quality product with benefits for dent and expansion/contraction resistance. The species line carried features many exotics and various colors of more common species like birch and oak. The locking mechanism is well designed and is fairly easy to engage, which will make install easy.

These floors were designed for heavy residential and light commercial traffic (25 year residential and 5 year commercial warranties) which means these floors are built to take some abuse. Keep in mind this will partially matter on what species you choose, as softer species are more likely to dent than harder species.

My advice to maintain your floors against kids and pets is fairly simple. Make sure you have furniture cups on all furniture that goes over your floor and ensure you pet's nails are trimmed and they remain groomed and you should have little issue.

Overall Saso's engineered floors are comparable to many of the better engineered products out there. The benefits of thicker plies and a good number of plies gives you a good quality product which should put up for a decent amount of abuse, just make sure you take precautions with furniture and your pets and this floor should do well for you.

My last tid bit of advice is to order a few samples and put those samples through your own testing to see how much abuse Saso's floors can take compared to similar products. This is the best way to see what will work in your home, hands on testing!

Q: I am going to install hardwood in my basement. I will most likely use the engineered wood, but I was wondering if I need to install a vapor barrier? Also, have you ever heard of someone installing a foam layer beneath the wood to offset the “unlevel” concrete basement floor and prevent popping zones from occurring?

Thanks,
Don

I tossed a few emails back and forth with Don to get a few more details about his project. He mentioned he was thinking about a floating installation, but is open to either floating or gluing his floor depending on which will give him the best result.

Don mentioned that he will be doing this project himself and that this is relatively new construction. We had a short phone call to discuss necessary items and what will give him the most bang for his buck. He plans for this area to contain a bar, arcade game and to be used for hosting parties and a general rec room.

A: Based on the room itself and what you intend to use it for, I would highly suggest looking into a good floating floor. Also, to account for the traffic, I would use a 6mm cork underlayment. Product wise, look into a 5 or 7 ply product as a minimum and try to find something with thicker plies as this will give you a much higher quality product which will resist denting and expansion/contraction better than lower quality product. As far as accounting for slight changes in subfloor height, as long as the difference is 1/32" or less the underlayment should account for this. If you have more variation than this, use a self leveling compound to even this out, but it is likely that this will not be an issue since this is new construction.

Also, look into a floating cork floor as an option. These floors are well suited to a good amount of foot traffic. Should you want a hardwood floor only, make sure to find a dense floor with a hardness rating equal to white oak at a very minimum, although I would personally look into something nearing the 2000 Janka rating or higher hardness as better options.

Don also mentioned he had looked into tile for its durability, but he had been told that with the concrete underneath and the movement that will occur (no matter how solid and unmoving concrete may seem, it still moves folks) that it would crack the tile. This is true, but there is a solution for this problem. Using an uncoupling membrane such as the ones made by Schluter will prevent this, but the installation takes quite a bit of work, so Don has decided he'll look into a floating floor.

Product wise I suggested looking into Bellefloor, BR-111 and Saso for good engineered floors and APC or Westhollow for a good Cork floor.

Q: Can a 3/4" hardwood floor be installed on a subfloor that is heated by
radiant heat??

Kathy Farmer

A: As a general rule solid hardwood floors and radiant heating systems do not match. Although this may be a downer when it comes to the concept of that dream floor, let me explain why you should not put a 3/4" solid over a radiant floor and then suggest alternatives.

The reason why you do not put a 3/4" solid over radiant heated subfloors is a matter of expansion and contraction. Solid wood moves much more than any other type of floor and because of this it is heavily susceptible to expansion and contraction due to temperature. Wood flooring is still a natural product and as such, it will expand due to heat and contract due to cold. This being said, more direct heating methods like radiant heat cause solid floors to expand quite a bit after installation, which leads to buckling. Even after proper acclimation this can still be a concern, as the floor is forced to absorb a lot of heat to radiate it into your room.

Don't fret though, you can still have a great looking wood floor, you just want to look into a high quality engineered floor. Find an engineered product with at least 5 plies and thicker ply and species layers. This way you can have a great look wood floor that is suited to radiant heat.

Why engineered? Glad you asked!

Engineered product are made using a cross-ply lamination technique. This means the the substrate underneath the species layer of your floor is a criss-cross of wood layers which helps to naturally keep check for expansion and contraction.

When looking into engineered floors, find a floor that is able to be installed as a floating floor as these types of floors tend to be far more stable and are more suited to a radiant heat system.

While Steve is on the road visiting the great folks we have around the country, I stepped in here to help out on a somewhat difficult situation:

Q: Steve-

-Danny R.

A: The pegged appearance of flooring was rather popular for a time, but right around the mid to late 80s began to get phased out, much as you are experiencing. Recently I have only seen a few private label laminates which feature the pegged look as well as some bamboo, but not much in the hardwood category that was not custom made in home. Off hand, the only pegged flooring I know of from a major brand is the Patina Relics line made by Award. The only problem you run into here is that there are only 3 colors, so your selection is minimal. This being said, you might be best off purchasing an unfinished oak, staining it to match, then drilling and pegging the floor. After this is done, apply a site finish to ensure the entire floor has an even finish.

If you buy a pre-finished product from Bruce (or anyone for that matter) then drill and peg the floor, you will instantly void the floor's warranty and you will still need to screen and site finish the floor in order to ensure you have a finish across the entire floor. This is easier to do with Oak than most other species, as Oak does not darken very much over time like other species of wood, meaning it will be easier to get the new flooring to match up to the old. All in all, I think your solution here would be to find an unfinished product and do this work on site to ensure the best results. Buy multiple widths of flooring in order to keep with the random width look (usually this is 3", 5" and 7" widths mixed) then get to work with your install, drilling and pegging the floor and finally staining and finishing the floor (don't forget a reward of a decent dinner for all that hard work).

Here is a bit of background about pegged flooring, which will also help out on the install process. Typically wood flooring any wider than 5" is supposed to be face screwed to prevent the planks from curling. After nailing the tongue section during your installation you will then go back with a special drill bit an drill down about 1/4" (or as deep as necessary to get to the top of the tongue in depth) then screw the floor down to the subfloor. After this is done, you will put some wood glue into the drill hole and plug the hole using a wooden dowel. Then cut the down using a back saw or similar hand saw and allow the adhesive around the peg to cure. There are some plugs made specifically for this process, but they are rather hard to find. After this is done, you will then sand down the peg/plug until it is flush with your floor. After this process is complete for the entire floor, you will then site finish the floor and call it a day.

As you can imagine based on just the description, true pegged flooring can be a time consuming process and expensive process, but in the end can look amazing. To sum up here, you are best off going with unfinished flooring (you might even be able to find pre-pegged unfinished flooring) then doing most of the work on site to ensure it ends up smooth and looking tip top.

Q: Our house was built in 1922. The majority of the house has oak flooring, but it seems that the bed rooms were done in Douglas Fir. A few years back, before we bought the house, there was a fire in our home. This fire ruined about 40 sqft in one bedroom. The wood was replaced with plywood and a carpet was installed over.

~Albert

A: Any case where you are trying to match new flooring to existing flooring is a difficult project. There are a few characteristics to Douglas Fir that make it rather hard to match up to. Douglas Fir has a rather straight vertical grain pattern with a rosy hue. This is off-set by Douglas Fir's white to yellowish sap wood coloring and reddish brown knot colors.

There are two things you can do here. The easier choice as far as labor is concerned would be to replace the entire floor with a new wood floor type of your choice. From there you will install the new floor over the top of the old.

The harder option would be to find an unfinished Douglas Fir floor which matches the dimensions of your current floor. Install the new flooring then sand the entire floor to level and finish it so the entire floor has a uniform finish and appearance. This can be a bit difficult as find new flooring which matches the specs of your old floor could be rather hard. Your best bet would be to find a mill out of the Northwest (which is where most Douglas Fir comes from) and see about getting milled flooring.

At this point I would make sure you get a professional installer to help you out if you are going with the unfinished fir to match your current flooring.

Q: Hi I have been looking at the different flooring options for a while now. It seems the widest selection is in the 3/4" solid line. I have concrete floors and it was suggested by a friend I could lay down 3/4" OSB after sealing the concrete to provide a suitable subfloor to nail to. Not knowing how long the nails are, I am not sure if 3/4" would truly be suitable. What are your thoughts?

Thank you,
Gordon

A: You could glue down OSB or plywood to the concrete, then nail, but this has a high chance of failure. Your best bet is to build a breathable subfloor over the concrete from treated lumber and OSB or plywood.

What you will need to do is glue and shoot treated lumber (usually 2x4s) in place with concrete nails and a good adhesive into place to act as sleepers. To save a few bucks, you can cut the 2x4s in half, but make sure you treat the cut side. You will want to use 12" centers here to ensure stability and still allow the floor plenty of breathing room. From here install the base of your subfloor into your sleepers. Then from here you will install your flooring as you would normally, nailing it over the new wooden subfloor you have constructed. If this is planned for early on, its actually very affordable (about the same cost as gluing down a floor) and will provide an excellent subfloor that should stand up for years.

Keep in mind that gluing a 3/4" solid directly to the subfloor is a BAD idea. Should any moisture get into the flooring, it will be game over. Plain and simple, 3/4" moves the most of all flooring (expansion and contraction) and when this movement occurs with a glue down application the floor will warp and buckle. Glue down applications allow for minimal amounts of movement by nature.

Q: We're interested in the BR111 Brazilian Hickory, 5/16 solid for a kitchen floor. Currently have above grade, solid sheet no-wax Mannington floor in good staple condition with smooth underlayment over plywood sub-floor. Can I staple/glue the hickory over this? Thks

I followed up to get a bit more information on the Mannington floor currently in place:

This Mannington seems to be glued and not floated with only seams glued. I believe it is over luan which is over at least a 1/2" plywood subfloor. The product we are considering is your solid 5/16" Brazilian Hickory. As I have asked several installers, including your distributor they seem to indicate I'm OK going over it. The exiting floor has been down 14 yrs and is in very good condition with seams intact. thks Bob

A: More than likely what you have is a glue together engineered floor. You should be ok to install over it, but you will want to install perpendicular to the current lay out of the floor. The reason behind this is that if the Mannington floor moves too much below and your Hickory is running along the same layout it is likely to telegraph up through the Hickory and cause problems. If you install in the opposite direction (perpendicular) then this movement will not telegraph directly to a single plank, and these types of problems are avoided. Since the stress of the floor below is spread across multiple rows of planks, it will not cause an issue. If the stress is only on one row of plank, you practically guarantee disaster.

Q: Our home was built in 1965. It has some amazing peg hardwood flooring throughout the house. (70% of the flooring is this). The problem is the Den, Breakfast Nook, and Hallway sub flooring all have grooves due to age and weathering. The crawl space under the home is right below these areas. How can I go about taking this up with minimal damage to replace the sub flooring and then reinstall it? Can I salvage the peg hole fillers or will I need to cut new fillers and refinish the flooring? From what I can tell this will be a very long project if I do it myself. Should I try this or get a professional? I've done several tile projects as well as putting down hardwood flooring but this might do me in.

Thanks,
Steve

A: Let's go into some of the history of pegged floors before we get directly to removing the current floor. Many floors have the pegged look from the mid to late 60's up through the 80's. True pegged floors typically are a width of 7" or more. These boards were drilled somewhat to make a recess for face nailing, then pegged with a dowel to fill the recess. After the peg's adhesive had cured, you then would sand and site (also called Swedish) finish the floor. The reason for this technique is that wide boards over time will rise a bit. Improvements in milling since the old days (back when all floors were scraped on site to smooth them, then finished after installation) have prevent the necessity for pegging floors, but the look itself was popular from the 60's through the 80's.

Alright, let's get out of history mode. More than likely your floor is one where the pegs are there purely for appearance and not to cover face nailing. In this case the floor should be nailed through the tongue at a 45 degree angle. Pulling a few boards carefully should show this to be true. Removing these boards is simply a matter of patience and evenly applying leverage across the length of your board (even movement should prevent and splintering). Here you will just need a pry bar and some patience. When this floor was new it was likely a prefinished product with an oil based finish, so you will want to at least screen and recoat the floor after reinstalling it.

When removing the boards, number them with a pencil on the back and bundle them accordingly to help keep the boards organized so it makes reinstalling them easier. In the case that your floor is truly face nailed, similar even leverage will need to be applied to remove them, but in order to reinstall them you will most likely be forced to remove the current pegs, remove the nails and use new nails to anchor the floor, then peg, sand and finish the floor.

If you want to make sure the floor is taken up carefully, it may be best to have a professional do the work for you, but make sure you find someone experienced in pegged flooring and who has reclaimed flooring in the past to ensure the floor is taken up properly.