Replace wood flooring...DIY?

[The other Mike]

Purchased a new construction house last year and having a non-wood floor (marble or tile) in our foyer wasn't given as an option so we went with the cheapest wood floor we could get. Now we want to replace it. I'm kinda handy but nowhere near an expert on any home repair items. So far I've only done 2 projects...crown molding and putting in a storm door. How difficult is ripping up the wood floor and replacing it with either a marble or some other kind of tile flooring? I have 2 weeks off so I'm looking for a project to do! Any tips, suggestions..etc would be greatly appreciated.

[Steve Manes]

It's certainly a DIY job, especially if you go with an engineered or floating floor. It's pretty much about just following directions.

But when I was getting lumber quotes to replace my first floor flooring a GC friend recommended that I ask his flooring guy for a quote. After factoring in lumber, rentals and urethane his price was less than a thousand bucks more than what it would have cost me to lay

1200sf of tricky flooring.

When you're doing a major home renovation sometimes you've gotta pick your battles and that one was below my price point. I'm glad I had him do it too because he ran into structural problems that I probably would have missed. Also, I've never gotten the technique down for laying satin oil urethane without streaks or thick spots.

Steve Manes Brooklyn, NY

[Charles Spitzer]

try reading for comprehension. the OP is removing a wood floor.

it's probably somewhere between easy and hard to remove. it depends upon what it is and how it was put down, which we can't see from here.

it's easy to lay tile of any kind, providing the subfloor is built for tile, which again, we can't tell from here.

[Steve Manes]

Assuming it's a standard wood floor (subfloor+finish floor), it's hardly brain surgery. Set a circular saw to finish floor depth, run it down the center of the room, cut a hole to get started, then use prybars to pop it up. Remove or sink protruding nails. Any bonehead with a strong back can do that.

The OP is repairing, leveling and securing the subfloor and laying down the new finish floor.

Steve Manes Brooklyn, NY

[Charles Spitzer]

the OP said he's putting in travertine or marble, neither of which are engineered or floating.

[Steve Manes]

Not true. There are many laminate tile floorings, like for example:

There's even t&g laminate marble:

Even if you don't use a laminate and go with solid tile or stone, the process is pretty much the same: make sure your subfloor is sturdy and level. Then just read the directions. HD has a very readable book on laying tile.

Steve Manes Brooklyn, NY