You can google for a number of sources. Read Me First! Today, you have to pay extra for it! Third; if not already specified, you can use a dense welded wire mesh (like 4x4) to try and prevent cracking. That is still the flooring in the rest of the house and the only problem is it is soft and old and splinters easily even though it was refinished. Most, if not all of the mass produced flooring is produced with a U. V. (ultra violet) cured finish in an aluminum oxide finish (or similar). I am out about $15k, but honestly I bet he doesn't have that money to give me. You will need to run that by your structural engineer of course. It is a 3/4" transition. A number of our neighbors have done this, and it's a beautiful look. Yes, they get dinged but I like them. Home » International School Programs » preparing concrete subfloor for vinyl plank flooring. I just read about a renovation in one of the magazines where the woman installed the soft fir floor before anything else in her renovation so that the workers would ding it up and make it look really old and interesting, then she just finished it with a hard poly finish. And your kitchen....wow...simply gorgeous and so warm and inviting. There is a threshold in that doorway. There should be a layer of tarpaper laid underneath your fir that at least catches the dust. This is not the case as the subfloor is on floor joists and not concrete, and the entry door has an 8′ porch over it so it takes a severe wind to drive rain or snow to the door. A level subfloor is a prerequisite or any floor covering, but it isn't as important for vinyl planks as it is for more rigid materials, such as laminates or tiles. (and I have the scars to prove it, but that's a whole other story). artemis: are you planning on removing the tile for the whole kitchen ? Once that existing wood flooring is ready to act as a subfloor, you will need to install your new floor at a 45-degree angle or perpendicular to the existing flooring. They were spendy (due to fabrication costs - the fabric itself was very inexpensive), but in the two months they have been up, they have made me smile and given me joy every day. I am planning on installing tile in my utility room and there is a plank subfloor under the existing wood floor. They got lots of scratches though. Even though I can see all the mistakes and flaws, in general it looks pretty good, and more importantly, I *love* working in it. I finally actually have a home :-). He found the fabric, and when we placed the order, we unfortunately found that it had been discontinued :-( We managed to find enough in inventory to complete the job though. Ha ha, thanks circuspeanut ! I really adore these shades, they are like massive artworks. Sure, it's vaguely unnerving in mid-remodelling to look up from the basement and see right through where there are plumbers holes, etc, but it was made that way and has lasted forever. Cloudflare Ray ID: 600952c15fc9f2bc If installing your flooring directly onto a plywood subfloor, prepare the subfloor by sanding the joists carefully and grinding the high spots. JW. If you need more pics let me know. Where did you find the fabric? Secondly; as the concrete cures it shrinks, this causes most cracking. Can I use solid wood floor with a DRIcore subfloor over concrete slab? I have to do something soon, what with our current cold wave making for pretty cold toes. Myself, I am tempted to take up my attic flooring and replace my kitchen tiles with it, just to get that old wood look. When I ask why that is bad, nobody can ever answer me. Work with the builder to get a low water ratio in the concrete mix, it's a little harder to work with but will result in less shrinkage. The existing planks that make up your floor have strength that runs in one direction only, and it is now recognised that ideally, subfloors should have strength that runs in both directions. OSB performs as well as plywood, and it's just as smooth, if not smoother. After having no kitchen for over 3years, I am now a cooking/baking fiend. If you notice cracks or expansion joints in your concrete subfloor, fill these in with floor patch and feather them with a trowel as before. artemis78, the thing I wonder about is the level of flooring going from one room to the next and how that will be if you remove the ceramic tile and only use the subfloor. – Ed Beal Aug 14 '17 at 0:56. The 3/4-in.-thick solid plank flooring shown is milled with a tongue and groove. The kitchen is so efficient and fun to work in that I find myself preferring to stay home and cook for myself and friends rather than go out. When we pulled up our shag carpeting, we refinished our fir floors. It should be installed with the smooth side up, and the joints should be staggered for moisture control and stability. I am using my Doug Fir subfloor as my floor in my 1924 bungalow. Thanks for posting that the step up works fine in a real life situation. Introducing a layer of ply will stop squeaks in your floor if it is done properly (see below). We used some left over flooring to make a custom transition from the bedroom to the bathroom. It's just me and the dog, he is 55lb of manic labrador, and I have put him on a strict nailtrim schedule. It looks like a great project, hopefully these tips help. The bevel was slight and since natural sunlight washes in the room in the same direction of the floors the bevels do not highlight any dust like they would if the floors ran North South. I can look it up when I get home if you want. I still have his tools. ), Caroline - The potrack hooks are 5" Bar Hooks by Rogar, in copper (of course). No new pictures, I guess I should take some to post a finished picture. Not that that helps a lot, since his nails grow wicked fast and when you're launching yourself at a toy, just about any nail left on his paw will scrabble at the floor and leave a mark. 1x1/4" sleepers, laid parallel and above the joists so I had several siblings and my mum come to visit from Australia. Don't let anyone talk you out of it. See more on this topic: Subfloor/Slab Prep & Underlayment Fill in any low spots too. Plank flooring is the most prone to this problem, the wider the plank the wider gap. When a prospective kitchen designer was at my house, I was asking him about whether we could just take up the tiles and refinish the subfloor and use it as the kitchen floor, and he said that there would be a height differential between my DR and kitchen. It looks like crap if not maintained and can really highlight imperfections in a floors levelness. 2x10 floor framing (old-growth pine, no blocking/bridging) 2. We refinished them in several rooms and they looked great. They are great. I often get comments (usually from guys)--"But it's the subfloor!" I know that he has been by my house, and obviously he can see from the outside that the project is essentially done. :). ;), Our fir is visible from the basement, so it sounds like we need to add insulation and/or tarpaper to it if it's going to become the primary floor. If you are using a concrete subfloor, the flooring should be at least six weeks old, dry, and free of powder or cracks. The water table is high and while there is no water intrusion, there is water vapor. Yes, we'll definitely have a downstep as well. It was just horrible before that! It's a reason I love reading the threads here--they are from real people who speak from actually living in their spaces day to day. It looked great in the photos. See how it’s inspiring art, soothing spaces and building design, If you’ve ever been in white-paint-swatch limbo, you know white can be tricky to work with. I am going to take up the hardwood floor to get down to the plank subfloor. Only about a quarter of the house (the addition built in the '50s) has subfloor underneath, the rest (built in 1900) doesn't, and looks like it never did. Over concrete, subfloors can keep a room warmer and drier and more livable. Concrete over a plywood subfloor with 16" on center floor joists. As an alternative to plywood for a laminate subfloor, OSB board is less expensive and more ecological. The existing floor construction is as follows: 1. Ensure that the subfloor lies flat and smooth before you lay down your floor. The color is perfect. In some places you coudl see light shining through but they were plenty sturdy for our son and two big dogs. 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