Comments on: How Hard Is It to Install a Wood Floor?

By: Ben Erickson

Ben Erickson — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:41:58 +0000

Hi Sandra, Today's Homeowner took on a similiar project in our Today's Addition Project. Basically, we started by gluing and nailing treated plywood to the slab. The plywood track and PEX tubing for the radiant floor heating system were then installed on top of the plywood subfloor. Finally, engineered wood flooring was glued to the radiant flooring track. In addition to the above links, more information on how we went about it can be found in episodes (637) Today's Addition (Part 1) and (638) Today's Addition (Part 2).

By: Sandra Landry

Sandra Landry — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:48:46 +0000

Hello, prior to purchasing our home the garage was enclosed to make a family room. It serves the purpose well except in the winter it is very cold. I would like to remove the indoor/outdoor carpet and put in heated hardwood flooring, however, the existing floor base is concrete. It also has 2 sets of concrete steps that now go into the laundry room and into the kitchen and a door that exits to the outside. I haven’t a clue what to do or where to start. Please make this sound simple so I can convince my husband that I need more than his big strong arms around me in the winter! (Of course that will not be too hard, because he is freezing, too!)
Many thanks,
Sandra

By: Ben Erickson

Ben Erickson — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:04:40 +0000

Hi Vanessa,
The best case scenario is when the tops of adjoining floors are level with each other in which case you can simply butt the wood floor up to the tile, and, cover the joint with a thin strip of matching wood. If one floor will be higher than the other, you will need to make the threshold from a thicker piece of wood and notch the bottom so it fits snugly to both sides. You can also find some premade thresholds and seam strips in wood and metal at home improvement stores. Good luck with your project.

By: Vanessa P

Vanessa P — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:00:55 +0000

Hi, I just bought a home and would like to install hardwood flooring. The living room currently has ceramic tile, bedrooms have carpet that I plan to remove. My concern is the transitioning from rooms. I would like to replace mostly all of the house with wood, except bathrooms and possibly the kitchen which has the same ceramic tile as the living room.

By: Ben Erickson

Ben Erickson — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:15:04 +0000

Hi Kenneth,
Having sanded and finished my own floors in the past, I would go with prefinished flooring. The finish on prefinished wood floors tends to be harder and more durable than off the shelf polyurethane that you can apply yourself. It will also save you the added expense of having the flooring sanded and finished, as well as the inconvenience of waiting for multiple coats of finish to dry. Having also had a golden retriever in the past, I should mention that his habit of running around the house chasing our son scratched the floors (he was a young dog at the time, so yours may be more sedate). That can happen, however, whether the flooring is prefinished or not, just keep in mind that it can be a problem.

By: Kenneth Meador

Kenneth Meador — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 06:46:51 +0000

Hi Ben,
I just bought my first home. It is located in Oklahoma and I am currently finishing up my last month in Iraq and then a few more months in the Army. My question is: My wife wants to replace the carpets throughout our house with hardwood. We have a golden retriver and 6 year old boy. Is pre-finished hardwood my best option? The reasoning behind the hardwood is mostly allergy related. Thanks for your time.

By: Ben Erickson

Ben Erickson — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:05:58 +0000

Hi Chris,
The surface veneer and finish on engineered wood floors are very hard and durable, so it should hold up well in a high traffic area. However, once the finish does become worn and needs refinishing, engineered floors are more tricky to sand since you have to be careful not to sand through the veneer to the substrate below.

By: Chris Oselett

Chris Oselett — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:12:02 +0000

Would you reccomend an a Engineered wood floor for a high traffic area. I would like to do this myself. So i jnow I can do this.