Questions tagged [hardwood]
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184
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Low-cost hardwood flooring... what's the catch?
Genuine hardwood flooring is generally quite expensive... but a few local stores have glue-down hardwood planks that are actually cheaper than mid-priced laminate (~$1.80/sf).
What's the catch?
The ...
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12
votes
3
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Does hardwood floor REALLY need an expansion gap?
The conventional wisdom is that hardwood floors need a 1/4-3/8" gap to the wall (or bottom plate) around the perimeter, hidden under the baseboard. Ostensibly this is for thermal and/or humidity ...
- 1,214
11
votes
8
answers
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How do I fix popped nails in hardwood floors?
Two nails in my hardwood flooring keep popping up:
I have knocked them back in, but because of a bit of flex in the floor, they work their way back up. What should I do about them? Is it best to just ...
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11
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3
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If polyurethane is not food safe, why is it used on dining tables?
Why do online sites say that polyurethane isn't food safe, and is there some way I can use it on my kitchen worktop and still be safe?
I don't prepare or store food directly on it or use it as a ...
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11
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2
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139k
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How can I remove blackened water stains from a hardwood floor?
We have several large (3' x 6') blackened areas on our hardwood floor where water damage occurred. This discoloration goes deep. Our goal is to sand the floors and apply a clear coat, but we first ...
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10
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4
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46k
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How do I deal with Particle Board Subfloors and Hardwood Flooring?
The house I recently purchased, built in 1973, has particle board subfloors. To clarify, this is not OSB and this is not just a particle board overlay over plywood -- the entire subfloor is 3/4" ...
- 1,393
9
votes
9
answers
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How do I remove permanent marker from a solid hardwood table?
A black permanent marker was used on my kitchen table. My daughter is 3, my bad for leaving the marker out!
An image of the damage:
The top circled area shows one mark. The bottom circle is where ...
- 91
8
votes
2
answers
1k
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Can I sand bamboo floors?
I have prefinished bamboo floors in the kitchen and they are not in a good shape. I was wondering if i can sand them. Somebody told me that i can't send prefinished floors (oak or bamboo), somebody ...
- 667
7
votes
4
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146k
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What are these spongy/soft spots on my hardwood floor?
The house I recently bought has hardwood floors, but I've noticed that some spots are spongy when I walk over them. There is visible downward flex in certain spots to an observer of someone walking ...
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7
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2
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702
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Distributed expansion gaps in solid hardwood flooring
I am planning to install prefinished solid 3 1/4" wide by 3/4" thick ash hardwood in my home using 2" cleats. I live in Canada, so the average indoor humidity difference between winter and summer is ...
- 118
7
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5
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75k
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How do I remove black rings on a wood kitchen top formed by a tin can?
At our house we have a wood kitchen-top. We had placed on it a tin can (a typical cookies can), and probably because of some water sitting there, a black ring has been formed where the tin touched the ...
7
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4
answers
821
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What is the recommended technique for refinishing hardwood floors?
I have old hardwood floors in my home that I'd like to refinish myself. I'm ok with all sorts of manual labor, but I'd like to know the preferred method for refinishing them without damaging my walls ...
- 171
7
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4
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3k
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Is moisture a concern with solid hardwood flooring over a crawl space?
I recently purchased around 600 sq feet of 3 1/4 inch solid hickory from Bruce, which I'm installing over a crawl space. I put down a 6 mil vapor barrier in the crawl space.
I'm measuring the ...
- 71
7
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4
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How to fill holes in Hardwood Floor, Large, Medium, and Small
The floors in this home are likely original from the 1920's. The lovely owners of the house before me did not care much as it was a rental, and we now have tons of paint and holes on and in the floors....
- 422
6
votes
3
answers
3k
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Hardwood floors cupping even after replacement
Let me start off by saying that I am NOT a flooring expert or installer, I am a homeowner looking for answers.
About 3 years ago, my home was built in southern Louisiana with reclaimed/antique pine ...
- 163
6
votes
3
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7k
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Should I put caulk/silicone at base of toilet on hardwood floors?
When installing a toilet in a bathroom with hardwood floors, should I put a bead of silicone or caulk around the base to finish things up? Is this necessary, or is it merely aesthetics? I have heard ...
- 525
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4
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7k
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How can I tile over a floor where hardwood is attached directly to joists?
My condo building in Boston was built in 1905, and converted from a hotel in the 1950's. Repairing some damaged hardwood in the livingroom the contractor found that the hardwood was nailed directly to ...
- 61
6
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4
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39k
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What hardwood flooring is recommended for high traffic areas?
I am having a house built and the developer wanted to charge me $10/sq ft for the cheapest $3/sq ft Bruce Oak, and more for anything better quality. There was no charge for Vinyl so, I had them put ...
- 63
6
votes
3
answers
5k
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What should go between a wood plank sub floor and a hardwood strip floor
I am about to install a hardwood floor into a room in my 1905 farmhouse. The subfloor is 8-12" wide 1" thick planks. The floor I am installing is 2-1/4" prefinished solid hickory tongue and groove.
...
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6
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4
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65k
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How can I protect my (engineered) hardwood floor from scratching?
I have engineered hardwood that scratches easily (be it from furniture being slid on it, a kid playing with hard toys on it, or simply from regular wear and tear). We currently mitigate the scratching ...
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5
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2
answers
10k
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Can I apply polyurethane to my hardwood floors in sections?
I have a hardwood floor I've recently finished staining. I'd like to apply polyurethane but I don't think I can cordon off the entire area for the duration. Is it alright to apply the sealer in ...
- 153
5
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2
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4k
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How much sanding do I need to do to refinish a wood floor?
I'm planning to sand a hardwood floor, restain it and apply a clear coat.
I tried using a random orbital palm sander and a 40 grit sand paper on an inconspicuous location. The sander does remove ...
- 283
5
votes
1
answer
1k
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Stain / residue on hardwood after years of rug covering
I just bought a house from the mid 1800’s. Hardwood throughout but two rooms have had rugs on the floor for obviously many, many, years. When we pulled up the rugs we found that the hardwood was ...
- 203
5
votes
4
answers
2k
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What underlayment should I use to reduce traffic noise under a hardwood or bamboo floor?
I'm in the process of renovating the 2nd story of my New England 1.5 story cape-style home. New OSB subfloors are down with Liquid Nails and deck screws over 5 weeks ago. I'm on to flooring now. I ...
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2
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12k
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How to fix hardwood floor with wear from an office chair
I currently have a hardwood floor that is worn down by an office chair and it needs to be fixed, optimally without having to do the whole floor with a floor sander.
As you can see in this photo:
the ...
4
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Pros and Cons of floated flooring
We just bought a new house which needs extensive remodeling.
Our contractor, after ripping out the existing old carpet and damaged subfloor/padding, discovered that the floor was quite uneven, so we ...
- 185
4
votes
4
answers
715
views
How to remove threaded insert that went in wrong?
I am attaching a cable management tray to the underside of my solid wood desk (acacia). I heard about threaded inserts which are good for when you want to disassemble things frequently. That sounded ...
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5
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How to get rid of moisture in hardwood flooring?
We have recently come to a halt with our building due to our hardwood floorboards cupping and swelling in several places.(Boards were acclimatized for several months before installation) They were ...
- 41
4
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5
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17k
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Is sanding hardwood floors really necessary?
I bought my house a couple of years ago and I was told that there are beautiful hardwood floors under the carpet. I decided to rip up the carpets and find out (actually my dog decided that for me ...
- 553
4
votes
1
answer
643
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Hardwood flooring installation
We have 1/2” particle board over 3/4” plywood. Can we install real hardwood over both?
We now have carpet which we want to replace.
- 41
4
votes
1
answer
4k
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What is recommended to install hardwood floor on slab in Tampa, FL?
Am building a new home in Tampa, FL and considering engineered hardwood floors throughout except baths and utility. The builder does provide the option but they seem quite expensive. I'm thinking ...
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4
votes
1
answer
6k
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Alternative to tongue and groove adhesive for hardwood floor
I'm installing an engineered hardwood product in my office, 5" Shaw Epic hardwood. It is tongue and groove, but not a click-lock type. For a floating installation, the tongues and grooves need to be ...
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4
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1
answer
683
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What are my options for hardwood floor scratch and gouge repair?
I have a 10 month old puppy who recently discovered her (apparent) love for the taste of wood putty. There was a rather large knot hole that had been plugged and finished in our living room floor that ...
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4
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2
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4k
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Is it OK to use 1/4" OSB over a standard subfloor before installing 3/4" hardwood on top?
I'm planning to install a hardwood floor to butt up against ceramic tile. The tile looks like it will be 1/4" proud to the wood. Can I install 1/4" OSB over the subfloor, then the paper, then the ...
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4
votes
1
answer
523
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Gluing Hardwood Floors?
We recently had our house built, and included the "hardwood floors" upgrade. When we moved it we were pleased with the way the floors looked. Some time later, water started coming up from beneath the ...
- 525
4
votes
2
answers
782
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How to diminish the appearance of a stain on hardwood floor?
A few years ago, some liquid (red wine or water from a plant) leaked on my hardwood floor (cherry). It took several months before we noticed it because it was under a carpet. This little incident left ...
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3
votes
4
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125k
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How to drill a hole in the wood without an electric drill?
During a travel in Laos, I need to drill some holes into a double-door's wood to install a locker. The wood is rather hard, and I don't have an electric drill (and can't find it).
I only have 2 small ...
- 133
3
votes
1
answer
1k
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Why don't I see more progress when sanding my stair treads?
Doing some DIY around the house, any suggestions would greatly help.
I want to refinish my indoor steps and railing(sand and repaint)
When i am trying to sand the steps its very hard to sand it, ...
- 143
3
votes
2
answers
3k
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Proper Orientation for Plywood Subfloor under 3/4" Hardwood
I recently purchased a house in New Jersey and the 2nd floor was filled with old carpet that we wanted to replace with hardwood flooring. I ripped up the carpet only to find particle board under all ...
- 31
3
votes
1
answer
1k
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Is hardwood flooring safe from termites?
I have plans to have hardwood flooring in my living room, but I am afraid of termites ruining my flooring.
3
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4
answers
31k
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Is it possible to tell if the current floor is solid or engineered hardwood?
I am looking to replace the existing floor because I was told by the inspector that it is engineered and can't be sanded. But while I had the contractor came, he said it is solid which we can sand ...
- 189
3
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2
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3k
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What's the best way to repair this hardwood floor damage?
Does anyone have any better solutions for dealing with my hardwood floor damage than what I describe below?
Below is a picture of my bathroom floor. Water has apparently damaged it from a toilet leak ...
- 325
3
votes
2
answers
415
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Wood Species to replace small bed frame piece
Our bed has a piece that's at most 1 inch by 1 inch by about 6 inches. It's permanently screwed to the headboard and then the side rail gets screwed into it.
On one side it's cracked. I want to pick ...
- 1,181
3
votes
3
answers
4k
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What tools will help when removing a glued down floor?
We are having a very hard time getting a glued down floor up. We have tried using large scrapers, a crowbar, and a hammer, none have been effective.
Are there any other recommended tools that we ...
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3
votes
3
answers
625
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How do I avoid squeaking with a hardwood floor?
We had Brazilian Koa hardwood installed on our 3/4 inch plywood subfloor that was level and solid. The installer used Bellwood's best underlayment and 16gauge nails. Everywhere you step the floor ...
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3
votes
1
answer
104
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Normal Hardwood floor installation on a wood structured deck
We need help on installing hardwood floors made of larch (a type of cedar). They are 3/4 wide and we want to install them just as we would inside a house. We will oil them with an exterior oil/...
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3
votes
1
answer
3k
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Do I need to use any sort of base coat when finishing hardwood floors with urethane?
So we are refinishing an old oak hardwood floor, we have sanded it and are cleaning it currently before we apply a satin water-based polyurethane (with no stain). Probably from Varathane or Minwax.
I ...
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3
votes
1
answer
11k
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Particular wood filler suitable for oil finish?
I'm going to try doing an oil finish for the first time. I'm going to try Minwax Antique Oil Finish: http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/specialty-finishes/minwax-antique-oil-finish
The wood I'm ...
- 24.1k
3
votes
1
answer
159
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Is my approach to installing wood subfloor over concrete correct?
I recently purchased a new home in South Carolina, and was planning to extend the existing hardwood throughout the rest of the ground floor. Once I began to remove the existing carpet, I saw that ...
- 179
3
votes
2
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972
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Fix deep Scratches on hardwood floor
I notice deep cracks on hardwood floor all over like below. We really like the house and buy it. Is this a major problem or a common one
- 133