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Yes, you can install a laminate floor system over existing hardwood floors. Just be sure that the existing hardwood is pretty smooth or the hump in the floor will transfer through. You must use a vapor barrier over your existing hardwood to reduce sound as well as moister transfere between two floor systems. Be sure to let your new floor acclimate to your room temp. for at least 48 hrs. this is especially important if you are installing floor in the winter.
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How do you know if the floors in your house are hardwood?
Nowadays, "hardwood" is a generic term used for any type of wood flooring. Woods such as pine are considered soft woods but are still used as "hardwood" flooring. In my experience any floor that has finished wood covering the surface is a hardwood floor. The term is used more loosely today. 50 years ago, a "hardwood" floor meant maple, in almost all cases. Today, man-made laminate "wood" might be called a "hardwood" floor, but flooring that is actual pieces of wood will almost always be called a "hardwood" floor. The "finish" floor in most construction nowadays is plywood. The flooring - wood, vinyl, carpeting, whatever - is put down over that.
Laminate Wood Flooring: An Alternative to Hardwood?
Laminate wood flooring is a highly durable, cost-efficient alternative to traditional hardwood floors. Scratch, fade and stain resistant, laminate wood flooring never needs to be replaced or refinished. Laminate flooring is a composite material with several layers that make it strong and attractive. Available in a wide variety of colors, plank widths and wood styles, laminate flooring is versatile and will add style and class to any decor. Easy to install with a simple click joint or locking system, laminate floors don't require glue or nails and can be fully installed over an existing floor in a matter of a weekend.
Can you lay a laminate floor over a ceramic tile floor?
Yes. You should use a good quality underlay with it though to reduce the noise of the laminate knocking on the tiles.
Can you use a steam cleaner on carpets laid over hardwood floor?
Yes you can as long as you are not concerned about damaging the underlying floor. If the floor is old and the finish in unimportant to you, you are fine. If you are looking at steam cleaning an area rug which is on a hardwood floor, that's a definite no-no and the as the water and steam can stain or buckle the hardwood.
Can you lay cermic tile over laminate floating floor?
No, ceramic tile needs a firm subfloor, without movement, and one not prone to moisture. Laminate is none of those.
Can you install laminate floor over laminate floor?
No, laminate is floating type of floor installed over an insulation pad. Hardwood floor has to be nailed, stapled or glued to the subfloor. If you do manage to install hardwood on top of laminate sooner or later your Laminate floor will expand due to high temperature or humidity and it will create gaps between hardwood planks.
Can you install hardwood flooring over laminate flooring?
No, laminate is floating type of floor installed over an insulation pad. Hardwood floor has to be nailed, stapled or glued to the subfloor. If you do manage to install hardwood on top of laminate sooner or later your Laminate floor will expand due to high temperature or humidity and it will create gaps between hardwood planks.
How do you know if the floors in your house are hardwood?
Nowadays, "hardwood" is a generic term used for any type of wood flooring. Woods such as pine are considered soft woods but are still used as "hardwood" flooring. In my experience any floor that has finished wood covering the surface is a hardwood floor. The term is used more loosely today. 50 years ago, a "hardwood" floor meant maple, in almost all cases. Today, man-made laminate "wood" might be called a "hardwood" floor, but flooring that is actual pieces of wood will almost always be called a "hardwood" floor. The "finish" floor in most construction nowadays is plywood. The flooring - wood, vinyl, carpeting, whatever - is put down over that.
Can you put hardwood floor over carpet padding?
No, carpet pad is both taller and softer then pads meant for floating laminate and wood floors. No pad of any kind should be used on any other type of wood installation.
How to Choose Between a Hardwood and Laminate Floor?
When shopping for hardwood floors for your home, you’ll have to make a choice between installing a real hardwood floor or a laminate floor. It might seem like a cut and dry decision that choosing real hardwood is the better option, but owning a laminate floor has its merits. When you have to make the choice between a hardwood floor and a laminate floor, the deciding factor is always money. Hardwood floors cost much more than laminate floors, which makes laminate flooring a great option for people who are on a tight budget. In the past, laminate floors often looked cheap and inferior to real hardwood flooring, but with newer manufacturing techniques and increased consumer demand, it is often hard to tell the difference between a laminate floor and the real thing. The next issue that you need to think about when choosing between a laminate floor and hardwood is where you plan to install the floor. Real hardwood floors are not easy to install in every room. This is because real hardwood planks need to be glued to a subsurface or nailed into place. Doing so may be impractical and expensive. For example, if you have to install a hardwood floor over a cement slab, you will need to level the slab, sand it, and then apply glue, all labor intensive jobs that can cost a lot money. You also have to be careful about installing a real hardwood floor in places like the bathroom or kitchen where there the potential for a lot of exposure to moisture, which may cause the floor to warp or buckle. Instead, a laminate floor may be ideal. These floors are installed very easily without the need for glues or nails and can be placed over virtually any subsurface. Finally, you may want to consider the durability and ease of maintenance that a laminate floor has to offer. Laminate floors are resistant to scratching, fading, staining, and impacts that can damage the surface of real hardwood floors. On top of this, they are easy to clean, needing only a light vacuuming and mopping every now and then. Because of this, they are ideal flooring options for people who have kids or pets that may dirty the house a lot. If you’re making the decision between hardwood and laminate flooring, make sure you think about these things before making your purchase. Real hardwood floors are not suitable for every home and for every family. If yours is one of them, laminate flooring is a good choice.
Is bamboo a laminate?
No, bamboo is a type of wood floor, similar to engineered woods in which layers of wood are pressed together. Laminate contains a resin/wood/composite base over which a layer of laminate (plastic) has been applied.
Laminate Wood Flooring: An Alternative to Hardwood?
Laminate wood flooring is a highly durable, cost-efficient alternative to traditional hardwood floors. Scratch, fade and stain resistant, laminate wood flooring never needs to be replaced or refinished. Laminate flooring is a composite material with several layers that make it strong and attractive. Available in a wide variety of colors, plank widths and wood styles, laminate flooring is versatile and will add style and class to any decor. Easy to install with a simple click joint or locking system, laminate floors don't require glue or nails and can be fully installed over an existing floor in a matter of a weekend.
Can you tile over a laminate floor?
Remove the laminate floor first
How to Choose Between Hardwood and Laminate Flooring?
If you’re in the market to purchase new flooring for your home and are interested in wood floors, you’ll be faced with the choice between real hardwood flooring or laminate. While it may seem that choosing real hardwood is the smart choice, there are some things to consider that can make the decision more difficult. The most important factor in choosing between the different types of flooring is your budget. Hardwood floors are many times more expensive than laminate flooring. If you are on a tight budget, you can get the look of a hardwood floor by purchasing a laminate floor. In the past, it was easy to tell the difference between laminate wood floors and true hardwood, but with newer manufacturing processes, it can be difficult to tell the difference from appearances alone. Next, you have to consider where you want to install the floor. Hardwood floors need to be nailed or glued into place, making them difficult and expensive to install over cement slabs. Also, if you are installing hardwood flooring into areas that have a lot of moisture like bathrooms or kitchens, hardwood flooring can warp from the water. On the other hand, laminate flooring can be placed on top of any subsurface. Laminate flooring is installed in such a way that it floats over the existing subsurface, making it easy to install and remove. Laminate floors are also more durable than hardwood flooring. Hardwood floors wear down over the years and can scratch and lose their polish. After several years, the hardwood will need to be refinished in order to bring back its original luster and appearance. In addition, hardwood flooring can fade in sunlight. Laminate floors are very durable and resist scratching and impact dents. Not only this, but they will never fade and never need refinishing. Finally, laminate floors are very easy to maintain. All that they require is a quick mopping from time to time. If you have children who are prone to make messes in the house, laminate flooring may make it easier to maintain a clean home. Before you decide on the material for your new, wood flooring, consider the benefits and negatives to both flooring options so that you can install the flooring that is right for your circumstances.
The Benefits Of Choosing Laminate Flooring?
When people think of changing the floors in their home, they often dream of putting in hardwood. This material has become the height of style in the home, though it does have some drawbacks. For people who love the look of hardwood, thankfully, laminate flooring offers the appearance of hardwood without many of its problems. Laminate flooring is typically constructed from several layers of material bonded together under high pressure. One of these layers is a high resolution image of actual wood. This gives the appearance of a hardwood floor, along with the same smooth surface that can be cleaned much more easily and thoroughly than carpet. As a result of the way its construction, it is highly durable. It is also much more environmentally friendly, because it uses less wood and the wood it does contain is used more efficiently. The most significant benefit of a laminate floor is its ease of installation. Wood is very sensitive to water and the surrounding humidity. It can easily be ruined by excessive moisture, such as during a flood. Due to this, it cannot be installed below grade. In contrast, he construction of a laminate floor makes it suitable for installation anywhere, including over virtually any other flooring surface. This allows it to be installed in a basement or over another floor. You can often install a laminate floor over another material without doing any damage to the original floor. This allows you to keep the option of later pulling the laminate floor up and going back to the original flooring if you wish. A laminate floor is also much more economical than choosing hardwood. The reduced amount of wood used to make it decreases the price significantly compared to solid wood. It’s also designed to be easily installed, and can often be snapped together with little or no equipment. This means that it can be put in by nearly anyone, rather than requiring an expensive specialist. For homeowners who love the look of hardwood, laminate flooring offers the same appearance without the expense or the concerns that it might be damaged by water. It’s also much more economical and flexible in where it can be installed. In short, it offers an ideal blend of features for people who want the style of hardwood but don’t want to deal with its expense or care.
Can you replace a tile floor with wood laminates withouth removing tile?
If you are installing a floating laminate floor, you can easily put it right over the tile.
Can I install laminate over an old hardwood floor that squeaks?
Covering a hardwood floor with a laminate is not going to solve your squeak problem. The old floor will still squeak until you address the squeak and fix it. Wood floors squeak because a nail loosens at one end of a board, the wood swells and rubs due to weather, etc. But the problem can be easily solved. If you have exposed joists underneath, you can have someone walk above you and find the squeak spot, then you can shim that spot, drive an angled screw through to hold the shim. That's one way. What you need to do is visit a good flooring or hardware store and ask for the tools and products to fix your old floor. There are simple products that are inexpensive and easy to use. Save your hard wood floor. There is no value in laminate. Have you ever walked on one? Talk about noise!
