semi solid flooring over laminate

[micks_address]

Hi Folks,

We are toying with the idea of laying old pine flooring upstairs.. we currently have a laminate glued floor thats been there since we moved in. The master bedroom as a slight dip in the floor in the middle due to the placement of a heavy wooden bef over the middle of the room by the previous owners. The question have have is - how feasible is it to lay semi solid pine flooring down on the laminate? Is it the best approach? Should we lift the laminate and the existing old floorboards and lay solid pine flooring on the joists? Where the joists are bowed - do they need to be replaced?

Cheers, Mick

[Stuart Noble]

Just as well it wasn't a grand piano then. Unlikely a bed would distort the joists, so possibly the laminate was laid over wavy joists with no packing.

The question have have is - how feasible is it to

Not sure whether you're talking about real wood here. If so, I would certainly take the laminate up to allow ventilation under the boards.

If the joists are bowed you have to decide whether the movement was a one-off thing when the house was built, or an ongoing process. Probably easier to make that decision with the floor up

[micks_address]

the laminate is laid on top of the white deal floorboards which are on the joists. you would say its better to lay the new floor directly on the joists?

Does semi solid need ventilation? would a floating floor work?

thanks for your help....

it just seems like a lot of hassle to lift the existing wooden floorboards, lifting the laminate wouldnt be so bad but going back to joist level sounds painful....

with the added problems of having to level the bowed joists..

Stuart Noble wrote: