My son-in-law has bought some bamboo flooring for his living room and hallway. After ripping up the carpet he discovered that the original flooring was hardwood running in the direction that he really needs to run the new hardwood. The original hardwood is not in very good shape so taking back the bamboo and refinishing the hardwood is not an option. His research is that you shouldn’t run the new the same direction as the old but running it the opposite way would look like
. So my question….is it really that bad of a thing to run it the same direction? I would think that the original hardwood has shrunk and much as you would expect it by now. What problems will he encounter down the road if he runs it the same direction?
Silas
Replies
pull up original, install new.
I've done a few in the same direction 5-10 years ago. No callbacks. If you can, lay it out so the nailing courses don't line up provided the floors are the same width. nail the sh#t out of it too.
I'd be afraid of splitting the old flooring since you'll be putting cleats/staples every 6-8 inches in a straight line. Also, if the new flooring is not the same width as the old, you are eventually going to be nailing into the seam of two old pieces. If you can't remove the old first, can you put down a layer of 3/8" ply over the old flooring first and nail through it?
Need longer nail cleats to reach the subfloor thru it.
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Definitely don't do it if the old flooring is cupping or otherwise not soundly attached and smooth on top.
The flooring doesn't stop moving from season to season, it will continue to expand in the warm (cooling) season and shrink in the cool (heating) season. The extent to which it moves is dependant on your particular climate, heat source, AC or no AC, species of hardwood, and how well the initial install was acclimated to the house. Since you say the floor is in poor condition it sounds like your best bet is to remove the old (maybe even sell it as salvage) and install the new over the subfloor. Too many posssible problems laying over the existing, and you can ensure the subfloor is in good shape and do any repairs that might be needed prior to install.
Geoff