Laminate/Bamboo over existing Laminate/Tile?


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Old 01-28-10, 11:25 AM
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Laminate/Bamboo over existing Laminate/Tile?

Hello all - I was wondering if anyone has any experience with installing floors and any ideas on what I might do in my specific case....

I'm in a bit of a quandary on how to proceed on a flooring issue. Basically, the main area of the home that I just bought (Living room, den, and master BR) is covered by a pretty nice, uniform laminate floor right now (though I'm in no way tied to it by any means.) However, the kitchen, which separates the den and the living room/master suite is covered in a tile that dissects the laminate floor. Its pretty gross, and personally I've never been a fan of tile. The tile floor is slightly higher than the laminate (probably a few centimeters). I really don't want to have to pull up that tile, so I was thinking the easy thing to do would be to install floating laminate or bamboo over the existing floors - but to be honest I'm not sure that's really possible.

The first caveat seems to be that the laminate and tile aren't level. Obviously, that would have to be corrected. Also, does anyone know if the floating floor can be installed over existing laminate floor? I'm curious as to any input you might have. I really appreciate all of your help and time.

I really like hardwoord floors, but I can't break the bank with this project, as the SqFt is probably going to be around 1100 - and I've found some good deals on laminate and bamboo online. My preference would be to simply get rid of the tile area and refloor that area with matching laminate from the rest of the house, but matching the floor exactly seems almost impossible. That would be the most cost effective, at least, but again, I have my doubts.

And one more quick question....I do have a large dog - about 110lbs. Would he totally mess up the bamboo vs. laminate?

Thanks again for all of your time!

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Old 01-29-10, 05:56 AM
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You can float a new floor over the tile, but not over the existing laminate....one floating floor over another is inviting disaster. And, you've got the height difference to consider.

The laminate is an easy removal, you can tear it right out, no problem. The decision is what to do with the tile. Ideally, you could tear the tile out, but what is the subfloor? If it's plywood/osb you'll probably end up having to do quite a bit of repair work once you tear out the tile. If it's concrete, you would just have the time/elbow grease of chipping away the old mortar.

If you don't want to remove the tile, and the subfloor isn't concrete, I would remove the laminate only, then add a layer of plywood to bring the height equal to the tile. Make sure the tile is well bonded, and do any grinding/patching to insure the floor is flat before installing the new floor. If the sub is concrete, I would remove the tile.

Big dog + bamboo/hardwood = dents and scratches. Laminate is going to be more resistant to the denting, but will still scratch over time. The laminate is more dog friendly, but bamboo/laminate has the benefit of being able to be refinished.
 
 

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