Hi all,
So I’ll be closing on a new house in about 6 weeks and we already have plans to replace much of the tile in the kitchen etc…with hardwood that matches the floors in the adjacent rooms. From the edge of the floor going into the basement and from some deductive reasoning I’m thing the following:
- 3/4 subfloor
- linoleum (original, build in ’75)
- 1/4″ ply
- New tile installed in 2004.
What are thoughts about getting this up so I can match the new wood floor to the old with respect to height/level? Power scrapper for the tile? Cut through the1/4″ ply and linoleum and try to pry it up? Will it come up? Am I looking at tearing up and replacing the whole subfloor?
Replies
If you have 1/4" inch ply under the tile, you may be
able to just pry up those two layers. It all depends on how it was fastened--if the 1/4" ply was just nailed, should come up relatively easily. If it was glued and screwed, that's another story. Personally, I'd avoid taking up the subfloor unless it's the only way. I'd rather try taking up a layer at a time with a scraper.
New tile installed in 2004..............ceramic or vct?
Big difference in tear out between ceramic and vinyl. You can't just cut through ceramic-you'll have to either chip it all up and then go with the cutting, or chip up lines so you can cut with a circular saw. Use disposable blades and plan on maybe a couple if you end up busting off the carbide tips. No use ruining your saw at the expense of a 7 dollar blade.
With vinyl, I cut into manageable pcs-2x2 or 4. Set depth to just graze the subfloor. Pull it up, dispose of all the staples or underlay nails-pound in / pull out.
New underlay if you think it's necessary to raise to the right height. But first, screw down that subfloor-at best it was nailed and glued and over time this often doesn't hold fast.
Wear gloves, and ear protection and don't forget your eyes. You'll be cutting through those staples etc and it's hot shrapnel.
One other caution-if you're not replacing cabs etc in the kitchen-don't raise it too high or your dishwasher with either be trapped if you don't remove it-or it won't go back in if you do move it. Know the minimum height you need for that model.
If the linoleum is well-adhered, leave it -- it very likely contains asbestos and you'll have a Super Fund project on your hands if you take it up. Pry up the 1/4" (hopefully not glued down too tightly) and then figure out what you need to do to get the floor flat enough for your wood.
So it sounds like...
No one is too worried about getting this up and leaving the subfloor alone. Thanks for pointing out the danger of asbestos in the vinyl. I guess my worry about leaving it is that it will be hard if not impossible to match the new hardwood to the old where it weaves in.
I'll use a power scrapper to take up the ceramic tile and then clean the floor up as much as possibe. Then I'll just enough to get through the 1/4 ply and see how that comes up and then start seening if the vinyl will come up relatively easily.
I'll definately add some screws to the subfloor to keep the sqeaks at bay and then work on leveling it if necessary. Also good point about the dishwasher (I didn'tn think of it). In theory I'll be going ~3/4 with the vinyl, ply, thinset, and tile and then adding it back with the 3/4 hardwood strip but I'll check. I am trying to avoid removing the cabinets as it has a recently installed granite counter.
Any tips on weaving in the new floor and making it look original are welcome.
Thanks to all.
floor
http://www.quittintime.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/4301/an/0/page/0#Post4301
Nice, thanks
Thats a very encouraging thread. Great pics.
You're welcome
and thank you, hope it gives you some decent help.
Don't just put some screws in -- dump a good sized box of them on the floor and don't quit until every one has found a joist.
Planning the strip flooring?
Hi guys,
Reviving this a bit as I've had some new thoughts. I was able to look at a cross section of the floor again (edge of basement stairs) and it is 3/4 subfloor, glue, linoleum, 1/4 ply, ceramic tile.
I have to agree that leaving the linoleum is probably the best idea for a few reasons; it may not come up without damaging the subfloor, asbestos, etc...
Two areas where it meets the exiting hardwood and tile will be fine with transition strips. That being said, in one area that I'm adding the hardwood floor to meet and match the original, I would really like to weave it in and make it look original. I figure with height differece when I add the new floor over the linoleum will be less than a 1/4". Can I use my planner to thin out the 21/4 x 3/4 flooring I'm adding to match the height of the original? If I take it off the top I don't see any problem with weaving it in etc...
Attached is a rough sketch of the plan.
Thanks,
It would be very hard for me to plane down new flooring rather than sanding the transition between old and new and leave as much wood as possible in the new section. Having said that I do appreciate the advantage to not having to sand as much on the boards that are being woven in so I could go along with that just so long as you aren't planing large new areas. Normally if there's that much of a difference between old and new it's time to rip it all up and start fresh.
Normally the new floor is woven in to the old, the transition is sanded to even out the old and new transition, the old boards that are partially sanded are then detail sanded/scraped so they will have an even color when finished. I wouldn't want to try to sand individual new boards while trying to protect the surrounding old since the height would never be right - when people do this you can see and feel a little extra height in the woven in new boards because they aren't sanded enough. Much easier to just be taking the finish off some of the partially sanded old.