how do i pick the installation method?


  #1  
Old 12-05-00, 03:58 PM
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i'm hoping to buy a one bedroom condo that needs a carpet
replacement, and i would like to put in a hardwood floor
instead of carpet. i've been reading various websites and
have a few questions about the process. they are probably
really basic, so please forgive my ignorance.

right now, i don't know what is under the carpet, and i
wouldn't be surprised if it were simply cement. assuming
there is no wood subfloor to work with, is there any
advantage to any of the installation methods (nail down,
glue, staple, or floating)?

once the carpet's been ripped up, how can i tell if the
cement/subfloor is flat? just eyeball it? or are there
tools for this purpose?

the place also needs a paint job, which i hope to do by
myself as well. which one should i do first?

i live in massachusetts, and the condo i'm looking at is
on the third floor, about 600 sf. i have some flexibility
so i can probably take my time. i have read a bit about
bamboo flooring and i like the idea. any recommendations?
i don't know how long i will be living here, so i'd like
to plan for mid to long term... given this, what would be
a reasonable price to pay per sf for bamboo floors? or
hard wood floors in general?

i know this is a lot of questions. thanks in advance for
any help!


 
  #2  
Old 12-05-00, 06:55 PM
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You will be somewhat confined to using the installation method(s) recommended by the manufacturer of whatever material you pick. They all have their advantages & diadvantages. Over concrete your best bet is a direct glue engineered hardwood or a floating engineered hardwood. Glue down sounds more solid and is easyer to repair, but floating floors are great for upstairs condo's where sound insulation is an issue. If you've got a wood subfloor that is at least 3/4" thick you can install a solid nail down hardwood floor. These floors can be sanded over and over and can last well over 100 years.

To check your subfloor for flatness, use a 6' strait edge or string a line.

It's usually best to paint first so you don't have to worry about messing up your new floor.

Bamboo is pretty hard flooring, but I havn't seen anything yet with the new aluminum oxide finishes that almost all the manufacturers in the US are using. Also, one added benifit of buying oak instead of bamboo is that we grow it right here at home.

Scott Stephens
http://www.stephensfloor.com
 
  #3  
Old 12-06-00, 11:57 AM
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scott, thanks so much for your answers, they are of great
help. some more questions...

i guess i was a bit confusing in posing my original
question. what i really wanted to ask was this: i am
fairly flexible in what wood floor to use, just as long
as it is hard wood and stands up to moderate abuse
(like moving furniture around and such). and i do
understand that whatever material i buy will determine
the installation method. given that, should i narrow
down my material of choice by choosing specific
installation methods? are there any particular advantages
and disadvantages to any of the methods i listed in my
original post?

is there any chance you could elaborate a bit on why
floating floors are better than glue-down for sound
insulation? it isn't very intuitive. why is a glue down
floor easier to repair than a floating one? and by
repair do you mean the surface scratching or the wood
planks themselves cracking or breaking?

any chance anybody can talk a bit about the finish or
give me a link? i am not sure what the difference is
among all the different finishes. i've gathered that
the look, durability, and emissions are of concern,
but i've no idea how to weigh each of these factors...

and exactly how is a $1.50/sf floor worse than a $6/sf
or $10/sf floor? what will i be sacrificing?

again, apologies in advance for my ignorance, and thanks
in advance for any help!
 
  #4  
Old 12-06-00, 07:37 PM
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Floating hardwood floors are good sound insulators, as far as your downstairs neibors are concerned, because much of the sound is trapped by the padding under the floor before it can travel through to the dwelling below. They are also easyer to insulate from existing subfloor moisture via a plastic vapor barrier. If you are looking at a high quality floating floor, like Harris-Tarkette Longstrip, the milling is usually exceptionally good. The down side is that many people just hate the hollow sound of a floating floor. As far as repairs go, I was refering to plank replacement. There's a higher degree of difficulty in replacing a floating floor plank than a glue down.

The major disadvantage of glue down installations is that they are harder to remove (especially if they are glued to concrete with urethane adhesive) if you ever decide to replace it. But, single board replacements are much easyer than with floating floors. Also, you may pay more for a glue down installation since the adhesive can run around $.50 p/ft.

I know it sounds like a contradiction that floating is easyer to completely remove but harder to replace a single plank, but you'll just have to trust me on that one. If I start getting too technical I'll have a melt down.

Some manufacturers allow their engineered hardwood to be stapled down to a plywood or OSB subfloor. This is the least expensive installation method, but you can easily end up with a squeaky floor. Also, some brands, like Robbins, tend to show dimples where they are stapled. This can be very confusing to Florida residents (sorry, the devil made me do it). Seriosly though, this is not my favorite method.

The other type of flooring that can be nailed/stapled is solid hardwood. This is the best hardwood you can buy, but you need a 3/4" plywood subfloor for this to work well.

As far as finishes go, most of the manufacturers have started using urethane with aluminum oxide, which is alot more scratch resistant than conventional urethane. Keep in mind though, that any harwood floor can and will scratch and dent.

Now, having said all that, your first step probably aught to be to go out and find something you really like without reguard to how it's constructed or installed. Then you can do some research and seek some guidance as to whether it's appropriate for your home.

As with anything, you get what you pay for. A quality high end flooring will be milled tighter, and have a higher quality finish than a cheapie.

Hope this helps
Scott Stephens
http://www.stephensfloor.com
 
 

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