Laying new flooring on the old one in questions and answers

Quite often, homeowners are tempted not to completely remove the old flooring, but to put the new one right on top. Our tips site found out when this type of installation can be used, and also collected the most common questions on this topic and answered them in this article..

1. When is it necessary to remove old flooring? In any case, you need to completely change the floor if it is in poor condition. For example, the boards began to rot, the tiles were badly cracked, the linoleum was swollen. We remove this floor! You can’t put something new on it. In addition, if the wood floor squeaks, laying a new layer of material will only exacerbate the problem;

Important! Placing a new floor on top of an old one will reduce the height of the room by at least two centimeters. Are you ready for this? And how will the old interior doors open in this case? There will be a difference between the floor levels in the rooms – this is also worth thinking about.

2. What kind of old flooring can the tiles be laid on? Only on tiles or stones! Tiles do not fit on linoleum and old wooden floors – there will be no adhesion, no adhesion between such different materials. For obvious reasons, tiles cannot be laid on laminate or parquet flooring – they are not moisture resistant. But the tile on the tile is a good option, you just need to prevent the occurrence of voids, use a notched trowel to apply the adhesive;

Important! Quartz vinyl tiles can be laid over regular tiles. It is only important to raise the seams so that they do not fall through, turn out to be flush with the rest of the surface. According to user reviews, quartz vinyl tiles are laid on a special glue in the same way as on plywood, they hold well.

3. What are the requirements for the surface on which the new floor covering will be installed? The main thing is that the height difference does not exceed 2 millimeters by 2 square meters. If we are talking about old boards, there should be no gaps between them. We already wrote about squeak and damage – they are not allowed;
4. What kind of floor coverings fit seamlessly onto old floors? First of all, we are talking about laminate and other interlocking floors, floating installation. It will not be difficult to lay linoleum and carpet on any old floor;

5. Linoleum over old linoleum – can you do this? Many professionals are against this option. In addition, removing old linoleum is not so difficult, it is not for you to knock down tiles. However, as practice shows, new linoleum can be put on the old one, having previously replaced the damaged places with patches and checking its condition. There is nothing particularly complicated in this styling option;
6. Do laminate or parquet underlays need to be installed over old wood floors or tiles? Sure! The portal wrote in detail about the choice of a substrate for a laminate;

7. Can new laminate flooring be installed on top of the old one? Again, we note that experts advise against doing this. Such a double layer of laminate will lead to the fact that the floor will lose its rigidity and begin to spring. But in general – you can! Backed between old and new laminate;
8. How to prepare an old floor for a new flooring? Check for damage, fix it if possible. Irregularities also need to be removed. On a wooden floor, a shingle is done with this. Very often, to remove irregularities, owners use a layer of plywood with a thickness of 1 centimeter. These are additional costs and “eaten” centimeter of room height. But on the other hand, the basis for the new flooring will be even, you can use any finishing materials. In any case, the base is thoroughly cleaned of debris and stains, we recommend treating the boards with an antiseptic.

As you can see, in some cases it is really possible to save time and effort, not to dismantle the old floor. The main thing is that it should be in good condition, withstand additional load and be prepared in advance.