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Tiling over existing wood floors.

migraine | Posted in Construction Techniques on January 14, 2006 07:40am

As some many recognized, this from a previous post, we hav a old home with 1×6 firship lap layed on a diag to the joists and a 3 1 /4″ fir T&G flor on top of that layed perpendicular to the joists.   Now the sweet wife wants a tile ding room in stead of the fir floors because they are badly stained.

Can I lay ditra or hardibord directly on top or does the T&G need to come up and a ply substraight need to go down. What about screwing every plank to the floor joists with 2 1/4″-3″ deck screws? 

joists are 2×10, 16″ on center with a  7′-7’3″ span

If so, should the existing floor be sealed with a water or oil based sealer, or is raw wood ok 

 


Edited 1/14/2006 11:44 am by migraine


Edited 1/14/2006 11:46 am by migraine

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  1. User avater
    EricPaulson | Jan 14, 2006 10:02pm | #1

    Take up the finish floor.

    Re-nail the 3/4"subfloor and clean well.

    Buy a couple of gallons of yellow glue. Glue and screw 1/2" or 5/8" underlayment to the subfloor. Lots and lots of screws. Longer ones into the joists (2-2 1/4") and 1 1/2" in the feild two rows between each joist.

    Tile awayprovided that your floor joist spans, depth and spacing are sufficient to meet TCA giudelines.

    You'll hear more soon.

    Eric

    [email protected]

     

     

    It's Never Too Late To Become What You Might Have Been

     

     

     

    1. migraine | Jan 14, 2006 11:31pm | #2

      No way just to screw through the two floors and into the joists, huh?

      Existing finish floor runs under all the interior walls and under the plaster coated brick exterior walls

      Base boards don't want to come of the exterior wall to easily either.  starting to chip too much

      1. User avater
        EricPaulson | Jan 14, 2006 11:39pm | #3

        I would think the finish floor would come up from under the base, perhaps with some dificulty.

        If the new finished floor hieght comes in higher than the bottom of the base, as it will anyway if you use backer over your finish floor, then a shoe of quarter round would be in order. Door jambs and casings can be under cut. So can the base actually, but you will need another expensive tool.

        My issue is with the floor height at door ways and openings. If you use backer board AND tile you're gonna need a ladder to get in and out of the room. It's a pet peeve of mine and many others as well to try to keep these transition areas flat or very minor in elevation differences.

        Eric[email protected]

         

         

        It's Never Too Late To Become What You Might Have Been

         

         

         

      2. User avater
        EricPaulson | Jan 14, 2006 11:41pm | #4

        Existing finish floor runs under all the interior walls and under the plaster coated brick exterior walls

        I don't get that, I've never heard of or seen such a thing. Doesn't mean it doesn't exist though.

        Eric[email protected]

         

         

        It's Never Too Late To Become What You Might Have Been

         

         

         

        1. migraine | Jan 15, 2006 12:08am | #5

          It doesn't go under the bricks, the plaster veneer coat was applied after the floor was installed.  The floor doesn't go under the brick exterior, just the plaster.

          This home was build of three brick layers, about 16" thick walls.  It looks like the main floor joist were set ontop of the rock/cement foundation and then the brick work was started and this formed the "pockets" for the floor joists One the brick level was at the top of the joists, the rough and finish floor were layed throughout the house.  And they continused to set additional course of brick, using the interior finish floor as staging/ ground floor for scaffolding..  Once they got to the 10' height of the main floor, they did the same again for the ceiling joists/2nd floor joists

          From crawling through the crwal space/basement this is what I have made out of this.  The same thing was told to me by an older neighbor.  He said that his dad was aroung back then and saw the house being built.

          I do understand the comments that you and others have posted, I'm just trying to make this an easier process.  As to the various floor heights, this is not to much of a problem since the kitchen, dining and living will all be one height and the rest of the areas already have tile or I will add subfloor to the areas being carpeted, as we get to them. We are living in the house and there is no easy way

          The height of appliances in the kitchen and baths doesn't matter since I will be making new cabinets.  Window are at a decent height and doors are at 81" to the top of the doors.

          The tile we have chosen is a 16" porcelin.  I would even be willing to use one of those new fangled flexable grouts to help with any possible movement.  right now, you can jump up and down a felt almost no vibration

          1. BryanSayer | Jan 15, 2006 01:34am | #6

            Get a toe-kick saw to cut the finish floor around the walls and pull it up. Try to save as much as you can, in case you need to patch in other rooms. I'd do just about anything for 100 sq. ft. of old oak floor right now, for patching.

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