Replacing the flooring in your home doesn’t always need to be a very hard task. Depending on the flooring that was initially laid, it can be as simple as gluing the new flooring on top. But it can sometimes be tough as nails and require you to rip off the existing flooring to gain access to the subfloor. Either way, it can be pretty complicated, and we’ll be breaking it down for you in this article.
Removing flooring can be one of the most challenging things on any homemaker’s agenda, but sometimes it is necessary. But how do you know when you’ve got to remove your flooring? One of the factors that may induce you to change your flooring is its condition. You will obviously be inclined to change up the flooring if for example it has a lot of wear and tear on it. Another factor to consider when deciding whether or not to replace the flooring is the combined height of the old and new flooring. For example, if the ceiling is high enough, no one will notice if you glue some hardwood flooring over the existing tile but if the existing wooden floor has a lot of wear and tear, you might even be able to see it under some other flooring options such as linoleum, meaning that it needs to be stripped off. As you can see getting the flooring right is a very vital step in having a great looking home. If you want flooring options that look so good that you won’t even think of replacing them, take a look at engineered oak flooring. They have great flooring options and will undoubtedly be a great investment.
Removing the flooring can be a pretty tough task. You will need to initially scrape or chip it off to access the subfloor. After removing it, you will then need to scrape off the adhesive that was used to attach it to the subfloor. It is quite the ordeal usually and will involve specialized tools such as a floor buffer or an abrasive disk. However, you will sometimes be working with a floor that hasn’t been glued on rather nailed to the floor, in that case, if you want to save the wood that was used for the flooring, simply pry off the nails that were used to nail it down.
Afterwards, you will want to prepare the subfloor. You do this by leveling it. If you have any irregularities in the subfloor, it can cause damage to the new flooring and cause very undesirable defects. By using a floor leveling compound, you will be able to fill in in depressions and remove any spots that are a little too high. After getting a level subfloor, you will need to apply a barrier to protect the floor from moisture. Common options are tar paper or plastic sheeting.
So, there you have it, the act of laying down the new flooring depends on the type of flooring that you’re laying down, but if you’ve made it to this step, take a step back and be relieved that the hard part is behind you.