In an attempt to improve the look and quality of their home, many homeowners are asking this question.
Can you install engineered hardwood over existing hardwood floors? Yes! There are many things you can do to improve the look and quality of your home. Installing an engineered hardwood over an existing hardwood floor is one of such things.
Read on as we throw more light on this.
Related: How to Blend Hardwood Floors
Can You Install Engineered Hardwood over Existing Hardwood Floors?
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These homeowners probably have already installed hardwood before now and in view of improving to a better option, came up with the question of can you install engineered hardwood over existing hardwood floors.
Yes! There are many things you can do to improve the look and quality of your home. Installing an engineered hardwood over an existing hardwood floor is one of such things.
Doing this improves the home’s beauty and gives a good feel to your feet for many years to come.
Although starting from scratch with a new subfloor seems more like the best option most people go for, it is much more convenient when you install engineered hardwood over existing hardwood floors.
What to Consider before Installing Engineered Hardwood over Existing Hardwood Floors
The first thing you will have to consider is the existing conditions of the home and floor.
If the subfloor (the hardwood floor) is still clean and dry, and structurally sound, it will be an excellent subfloor for installing an engineered hardwood. This type of subfloor is way better than using plywood.
If you will use the existing hardwood floor as the subfloor to install engineered hardwood, you must ensure that it has certain standards and requirements. This is to make sure that this does not compromise the durability of the finished floor.
You should not just install engineered hardwood over existing hardwood floors.
Read: Click Lock Hardwood Flooring Pros and Cons
List of the Factors to Consider
Below is the list of the things you should consider:
1. The first thing to consider is the structure of the existing hardwood. You have to make sure it is structurally sound, clean, dry, and flat for it to be good enough as a subfloor; else, you will have an awful outcome.
If there are loose fasteners or a squeaking sound, make sure you fix that before using it as a subfloor.
2. The second thing you need to check is understanding the ins and outs of installing the engineered hardwood over the existing hardwood floor.
Having this understanding will help you plan properly and make the right choices to have an excellent installation that will last you for many years.
It is good you take the planning section very seriously as this will help you avoid costly mistakes and problems that may occur after the installation process is complete.
3. Make sure you carefully and thoroughly check and investigate the existing hardwood floor and eliminate any perceived problems that may be present.
One major problem with a hardwood floor is that it becomes uneven and no longer flat if it has stayed for many years.
This can cause a lot of issues if you are going to use a glue-down installation method to install the engineered hardwood on top of the existing uneven hardwood floor.
4. You need to ensure that there is little or no variation differences in height from the different parts of the floor. Not attending this can bring about a significant problem in the long run.
Read: How to Install Hardwood Floor around Fireplace
Conclusion
Yes, engineered hardwood can be installed over existing Hardwood Floor. However, the existing hardwood floor has to be adequately checked to ensure it is in good condition.
If this cannot be achieved, it is advisable to remove the old floor before you install the new floor.
We have written this article to help you make informed decisions when installing engineered hardwood over existing hardwood floors.
We hope you found it helpful and informative; if you did, please share it across your entire social media pages.
