askjake

Subfloor for hardwood

Doug asks:

Hi Jake. I hope you can help settle this. 

I have an 8 year old home. I am ready to install 3/8 br. cherry hardwood. The subfloor is 3/4 ps2 osb and there is a 1/4 underlayment of utility plywood throughout. I removed the vinyl so it was level with the dining room, where there was laminate. I am using an insulament on top. Can I go right over using 1 1/4 staples or does the darn 1/4 have to come up? Some of it is glued down and I am afraid i will tear up the osb and have to put plywood right back down. Thanks.

Jake's answer:

Doug,

If the ¼” is in good shape and well attached, I would leave it down.  You are correct about the damage that might occur if you try to remove it.  I have seen the veneers of the sub floor de-laminate under these conditions, and then you will be right back where you started, having to cover the sub-floor with another underlayment. 

Update a plastic shower base

Marion asks: 

Hi Jake, we have an ugly platsic shower base I want to update, without taking it out. What are our options? Can we cover it with Epoxy or concrete, maybe something else? 

Thank you very much, 

Marion

Jake's answer:

Marion,

Probably the best bet for your new shower floor would be to use an epoxy paint.  Most paint stores will sell a residential packaged epoxy.  It will come in two parts.  One of the parts is the hardener.  Mix up that of which you will use immediately for it will set up with-in 24 hours.  Epoxy can be rather odorous so be prepared to ventilate the area that you will be working in. 

Preparation is important to minimize the chances of the new floor failing.  Thoroughly clean the floor, use a medium grit sand paper to prepare a bond then wash it down with a TSP cleaner.  You should also consider putting a light grit sand mixture in the epoxy to add some slip resistance to your new floor. 

Level a floor for tile

Jake asks:

I'm remodeling my bathroom and had to replace 2/3 of old plywood sub-floor. The floor is still not level. My wife wants ceramic tile. I bought the tile and cement board. Do I need to use self leveling cement to make it right before starting?

Jake's answer: 

Jake,

There are two ways to level your floor.

One way is to shim the plywood as you are installing it.  You can add shims to the existing sub floor or add shims on top of the joists if they are exposed.

The other way is to use self leveling products that can be mixed and poured.  This product can be more expensive but works very nicely. You can check out a product that can self level at Quikrete.com. I hope your wife is happy with the finished product. 

Natural lighting under a porch or deck

Lea asks:

Jake,

I have a home with a full finished basement. My question is how would I put a front porch (I just have a stoop right now) with having basement windows. Do I use lattice to allow light? I have a family room below the living room and I have a bedroom below the upstairs bedroom. I only make $8.80 an hour so I will be doing what I can myself and would like any savings tips. Thank You

Jake's answer:

Lea,

When you build the front porch you will substantially reduce the amount of light you currently have streaming through those windows. Try placing some boards over the window wells to give you an idea of what it might be like.  

Also take into account if the windows serve any kind of emergency exit. A deck over the windows could really hinder egress, either in or out.  

I have seen glass blocks embedded in the deck flooring that is above the windows. Glass block is not that expensive. You will have to get a little creative on how to alter your floor framing to accept the glass block. Good luck!

Timeline for staining floors

Alex asks:

Our home is new construction. The pine wood floors are installed throughout. My wife is concerned that they are staining the floors AFTER all the cabinets are installed. I thought this was normal, but she seems to think the finish would be more even if the floors were stained prior to the cabinets being installed.

Thoughts? Advice?

Thanks!

Jake's answer:

Alex,

In our area, typically on new homes the unfinished wood floor is installed just after the drywall is completed. It is not finished at this time. After the wood floors are installed, the trim and cabinets are installed, then they are painted/stained. The finish of the wood floors is usually one of the last items to be completed.  

One of the primary reasons for this is to minimize any damage that may occur after the finish floor is applied. There is usually a lot of construction activity that takes place in the new home and it is likely that the floors will get scratched. In some rare instances the wood floors are fished immediately following their installation.  I would not suggest this method on a new home. It's too risky.  

I hope this helps.  

Jake 

Insulating the floor

Valerie asks:

Hey Jake,

I am adding on a new 3-seasons porch. I will add a gas line for a fireplace as well and since the furnace room is so close, may run ductwork out there in the future. 

The 11'x20' porch will have a gable roof tied into the house w/single hung windows and 2 doors all around. It is being built over 1/2 existing concrete patio and 1/2 lawn. There will be about 18" for joists underneath. 

I live in ND with extreme temps and last year tons of snow melt. To prevent moisture/mold will plastic with rocks over the grassed area suffice? How do you seal the perimeter from snow melt/rain? Green treated lumber dug into the ground a bit? I have a contractor but he wasn't going to put any plastic down and said it would be fine. The inspector suggested it. What would be the best way to insulate the floor? I was thinking plywood under the joists, seal all with that expanding foam sealer and foamboard insulation? Thanks in advance for your expertise. I truly appreciate it. Valerie

Jake's answer:

Valerie,

You might want to consider using treated joists.  At 18” and less the code requires it.  By using treated lumber you minimize the chances of rot and insect problems. 

Definitely put a 6 mil or thicker plastic over the soil and patio, with a minimum of 2” of gravel.  This will help to reduce moister from permeating the floor system.

You should use some sort of treated lumber to seal around the perimeter of the room.  The code does require that these crawl spaces be ventilated year round.  For the size of room you are constructing, you will need 2 vents at least 1 square foot each.

The 2006 International Residential Code calls for an R-30 floor insulation.  Anytime you use batt insulation you should also provide for ventilation.  This reduces the chances of mold forming. 

I hope you are using a professional designer to take into account these issues.  In the long run, you will have a very comfortable room to enjoy those North Dakota winters in. 

Flooring for the seasons

Question from Paul:

I have a three season room which is built on beams (possibly an old deck. 4x4's sitting on concrete pylons). It currently has 3/4 inch plywood floors covered with outdoor carpet. My question is what kind of floor replacement do you recommend? I want to get away from the carpet if I can. I would like to put a wood or tile floor down but don't know how it would hold up with the temp changes. In NJ we have hot humid summers and cold winters. I do have a heater installed but only use it when we are in the room.

Jake's Answer:

Paul,

It sounds like your climate is similar to ours in Kansas City.  Basically you have a room that is exposed to the extreme temperature and humidity changes, so you need to be careful of the type of flooring you put down.  A wood floor would probably not work too well, too much exposure to the elements.  I would suggest putting down a tile floor.  Assuming you can use the existing plywood as a sub floor you will need to add a cement type underlayment.  The best type would be a 2” mud set base with the tile on top of it.  If the increased  floor height causes a problem then switch to a ½” concrete board, like Durock, check it out here.

You can then install the tile over the Durock.  If you are concerned about the cold floor you can add some area rugs for comfort. 

A job for a Toe Kick Saw

Question from Scott: 

Jake, 

Here is my dilemma: I pulled all the carpet out of my house so I can install hard wood flooring. I also want to pull all the linoleum so I can have the flooring all throughout the house. 

The problem is that when I get to a transition point where the carpet meets the linoleum, I found that the linoleum is layed on top of press board which is 1/2" higher than than the subfloor under the carpet. I thought this would not be a problem since I could just remove the press board. That was until I realized the cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms and the bathtubs and toilets are layed on top of the press board. 

I can't afford to lay 1/2" plywood all through the house to match the height of the press board so this leaves me scratching my head. I thought of cutting the pressboard out around the cabinets and fixtures but don't know what tool will get me that close to the edges of the fixtures. Any suggestions on what I could do? Thanks a bunch.

Jake's Answer: 

Adam,

No problem, all you need to do is get a hold of a toe kick saw.  You can check them out at this web site.

As you can see, they are a little pricy if you only need it for a one time job.  You might check with your local rental yard.  You might find it there. 

The alternative to a tool like this is to chisel the press board out of the way – this is a lot of work, but it can be done. 

Good luck. 

 

Sub-flooring for oak

Question from Dan: I want to replace carpeting with prefinished 3/4" x 3 1/4" solid oak flooring in my late sixties home that has 2x6 tongue and groove sub floor. The sub floor planks run the same direction as the intended direction of the prefinished boards and are separated by as much as 1/4" in some boards as well as differing heights of 1/8" in many places. What would you recommend to flatten this type of sub floor? Adding a sheet wood product is a problem, because adjacent tiled floors are only 7/8" above the sub floor. Thanks for your help. 

Jake's Answer: Dan, I have never seen a sub-floor of the type you describe. I assume this sub-floor runs perpendicular to the floor joists and that is the same direction that you should run your new hardwood floor. The direction and the separation of the boards do not concern me. The difference in heights does concern me. You have to figure out a way to get the boards re-nail or screwed so they are all even or you will have to install an underlayment, preferably ½” plywood. Make sure to gap the plywood at all edges to allow for some expansion and contraction. Where the new hardwood meets up with the tile floor, you will need to install a transition strip.

Cabinets or tile first?

Question from Shannon: 

I am rebuilding my kitchen and putting new cabinets and floor tile in. The question I have is, should I put tile down on the floor under my cabinets before I install new counters or install the cabinets then put down on the floor up to the cabinets? 

Jake's answer: 

Shannon, 

When installing tile in a kitchen, I would set the cabinets and then I would install the tile. Install the backer board before you install the cabinets and make certain to place the cabinets on blocks of wood equal to the height of the tile. This will allow you to install the dishwasher and it will maintain the proper height from the tile floor to the counter top.