Can I lay solid wood floor on ground flood floorboards?

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beaky

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Our bungalow is 1963 vintage. Existing floors are red deal floorboards on joists with the underfloor space vented to outside. Can I lay solid floor on this floor and if so how? Have checked key posts for wooden floors and these was some dispute regarding use of plastic/vapour barrier etc but that was assumed to be for an upstairs floor. This is ground floor. Any tips please??
 
Re: Can I lay solid wood floor on ground flood floorboards???

Yes you can. We did very successfully. We had it done professionally, as laying sold wood floors is not for amateurs.
No vapour barrier was necessary.
 
Re: Can I lay solid wood floor on ground flood floorboards???

Can I ask you Huskerdu, if you layed the floor on the existing boards or up on battons? If on the boards, did you put down Plywood first?I am hoping to lay it directly on the old floor or else take off the old boards and lay it on the joists. It this possible do you think?? I will be getting a professional to do the job but just want to be sure of my ground first. Many thanks.
 
Re: Can I lay solid wood floor on ground flood floorboards???

Hi Beaky,

Just had our house completed this weekend on the same surface you explain. We had intended on installing our floor directly over the existing floor boards how when the installer came to view the job before starting he suggested lay down an OSB board, no need for ply, its too expensive. We used 18mm board, you may want to use something a little thinner if you like, would not go less than 8mm. We first secured any loose boards in the existing floor, then the sound proof foam, then the OSB board, then the foam again and finally the 18mm solid oak floor. Have to say I am very happy with the job, not a squeak from the new floor and it is allot less noisy than you would expect. Plus there is the added insulation of using the OSB board. Good luck.
 
Re: Can I lay solid wood floor on ground flood floorboards???

Thanks Dinging. That sounds like a soild and comprehensive job. Think I will do likewise with slightly thinner OSB, the two layers foam that you suggest and no vapour barrier.
 
Re: Can I lay solid wood floor on ground flood floorboards???

I'd recomment going with the 18mil sheet to support where the planks meet between joists. 8mil will bounce a lot more.
 
Re: Can I lay solid wood floor on ground flood floorboards???

Leo I'd say your are correct. I asked the sales guy in Brooks in Sandyford and he said 18mm is the best for the job but then a guy in Woodworkers said this was overkill.
 
Wouldn't like to dismiss the usually acurate advice from Woodworkers, but I recently replaced the floors upstairs in my place and found that after putting down the thinner ply that there was still movement, so I upgraded. Not a huge extra expense, but worth doing it properly (and hopefully just once!)
 
Do I understand you correctly, that you removed the floorboards and replaced them with 18ml ply? Can we not simply lay thinner ply over the existing boards to level the floor and then lay the solid wood floor?
 
Hi Beaky,

No dont remove your existing floor, in fact you should make it secure as possible, if you have any loose boards screw them down, you then put the foam and then the 18mm OSB board on top of the existing floor.
 
Hi Dinging,

We are intending to floor our upstairs bedrooms with a semi solid wood , its currently just t&g, would you suggest we need an OSB and the foam layer?

Thanks,

M
 
MM3
Sounds like the guys are recommending laying 18mm OSB in all cases where wood floors are going on top of floor boards. I only asked my question cause I am laying soild floor on ground floor floor boards and was worried about damp/tempreture changes/different expansions etc.
 
Hi MM3,

Yes I suggest you go with a layer of foan then the OSB board then a final layer of foam for upstairs also. With solid floors the base has to be as sound as possible for many reasons but mainly due to the fact you dont want any movement in your new floor. Best to query this with your floor fitter first, some might think this is overkill but it helps to reduce noise which would be a concern for upstairs flooring and there is also the added insulation these layers provide.
 
Ok thanks for the reply's , I didn't realise we'd need that. Noise is a big concern for us - its part of the reason we've decided to floor upstairs.

Dinging - could you pm me the name of your fitter (assuming you are in Dublin) , sounds like he did a competent job.

Thanks,

M
 
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