Installing Solid Hardwood Floors Over Particle Board

The reason you can only float a floor over particle board is because nails won t hold in the particle board and glue will ruin the particle board.

Installing solid hardwood floors over particle board.

That option is floating a floor over top of the subfloor. Make a line of glue the length. To our dismay when we ripped up the old carpet we found that the whole subfloor was covered with particle board. It is particle board and not osb.

Hardwood flooring that is fastened by any method whether it be mechanical fasteners or glue should not go over particle board. The reason floating installations work and are the best suited for installation over a particleboard sub floor is because a floating floor is not secured to the sub floor in any area. Start with a small area so you can reach across wet glue without stepping or kneeling in it. Last year we installed solid oak hardwood floor in our main bedroom and family room.

Using a standard nail gun to install the floor was out of the question particle board isn t structurally sound enough to bite nails. Once you have insured the particle is in good condition you are able to install any floating type flooring engineered hardwood strand woven bamboo or eucalyptus laminate or cork over the particle board. Spread flooring adhesive on the particleboard with your flooring trowel. They are available in 3 4 inch thickness as well as low profile styles that are 5 16 to 5 8 inch thick which are a good or installing over existing flooring.

I pulled up all the carpet and found 3 4 particle board over 1 2 plywood board subfloor underneath the carpet. Installing solid hardwood floors over particleboard plain and simple answer is no. If this type of underlayment is present it will have to be removed when planning to install a nail or glue down hardwood floor. When thinking about installing wood flooring in a situation where the only subfloor is particle board you really only have one option.

We want to install either laminate or hardwood flooring throughout most of our home. Nails won t grip the particle board but screws do a better job. Like unfinished hardwood floors the prefinished types typically have tongue and groove edges on all sides. The particle board does not run under the walls.

But the additional height of both the particle board and the new flooring may pose a problem with doors and appliances. Solid wood floors should not be installed in basements or below grade.