RE: Engineered wood floor

[firefighterjake]

I've purchased an engineered wood floor (plywood with wood veneer) for my living room . . . due to the fact that I needed a thin wood vs. thicker wood floor and I got a good deal at "Mah-dens."

My question for anyone in the know . . . the manufacturer doesn't recommend installing this on particle board with staples or nails . . . which of course is what my 1970s vintage house has for a subfloor. I would rather not rip up the particle board and replace it . . . and simply throwing a layer of plywood on top of this floor will not work due to short ceiling heights and a tall grandfather clock.

So here's the gist of my question . . . or maybe it's questions . . . so far all I can tell is that particle board is not recommended subfloor material due to possible concerns with its holding power for nails and the possibility of swelling due to moisture. To my knowledge this floor has been down since the house was built in the mid-1970s and it shows no sign of swelling and ripping out the carpet tacks and staples was a bugger . . . which makes me wonder if the particle board might be OK to staple the engineered floor . . . or would I be better off gluing it down (I could go the floating floor route, but most floating floors I have seen have a cheap feel to them as they don't feel very "solid".)

Any suggestions? Staple 'er down and don't worry about it? Glue down? Float 'er and be safe?

 

[ScottF]

This question has come up multiple times on hard wood flooring forums as well as many jobsites I have been on. The answer, although a tough one to swallow, is to never put any type of hardwood floor over particle board. It moves with humidity changes although you cant see it. this is not good under wood of any kind. If water ever gets under it it will swell like a sponge. (a drink spill) It does not hold fasterners at all. Many people have been in your situation and had to bite the bullet and remove it including myself. Any manufacturer or professional will tell you the same thing. It is just a bad idea.

 

[woodsman23]

Why not just install a 1/4" luan (sp) plywood material over the osb. Glue it down then cover with the new floor by gluing it down to the luan

 

[Hogwildz]

I got a deal on a special order return of real nice engineered wood flooring at Lowes at my old house. It was only a box of about 25sf.
I did the downstairs powder room floor with it. Foam pad over concrete. This particular flooring was spec'd to be free floating. It turned out great!
And was strange walking on at first, but after a while I didn't notice the difference any more. Then the fact if you need to pull it up for any reason, just undo the trim around the walls and pull it up to access the substrate.

 

[ScottF]

Why not just install a 1/4” luan (sp) plywood material over the osb. Glue it down then cover with the new floor by gluing it down to the luan

Not a good idea. 1/4 not enough to add any holding strength and the fall a particle board will still move under the luan and therefore move the luan and the floor. Do some further reasearch on this topic and you will find every answer to be remove the particle board. Some people say it is OK if you do a floating floor or to add 1/2" ply if you want a stapled floor but I would not in my house. It eventually will lead to a disaster where water will get underneath and the whole floor will need to be ripped out. Better to take out the particle now.

 

[colebrookman]

If you really can't stand a floating floor than follow the very good advice and change to a wooden subfloor. But you say there is no problem with the particle board after all these years, every thing is dry, I would do a floating floor. Yes if the floor gets wet it may warp but the new floor will warp and delaminate first. So any water will cause problems which is why they advise not to wet mop this type of floor. If the kids spill something wet and you don't pick right up you've got problems; if the sink overflows etc. So you are more careful, but floating floors work well considering the cost. One backyard handyman's opinion.
Ed

 

[d.n.f.]

Can't you just float the floor?
I thought a lot of these engy floors didn't need nailing/glue but just floated. I have installed two and we just put er down as per instructions, just clicked together.
What about just putting down 1/4 plywood? Better than nothing. Particle board is evil stuff.

 

[ScottF]

Can’t you just float the floor?
I thought a lot of these engy floors didn’t need nailing/glue but just floated. I have installed two and we just put er down as per instructions, just clicked together.

.


Yes Particle board is condoned by many manufacturers. Just check with the manufacturer. I just personally said I wouldn't in my house but that just my personal opinion.