30
votes
Replacing hardwood floor in 100 year old house with no subfloor
The squeaking comes from vibrations created when the floorboards and joists rub against each other when weight pushes down on them.
There's a chance that replacing the floor with a new one "in-...
- 3,668
25
votes
Accepted
How do I fix popped nails in hardwood floors?
Use lost-head screws. These have heads small enough that they will pull down into the surface so you can cover them with a dab of filler.
There are many types, for different purposes, but all have ...
- 5,989
24
votes
Is it appropriate to sand a hardwood floor with a 20, 60, 100 grit sequence?
I've only refinished two hardwood floors myself but I do know a bit about woodworking given my dozen years of experience as a cabinet maker. The first floor was done with a rental rotary sander. This ...
- 341
20
votes
Accepted
How to cut wood panel for angled ceiling?
Here is how I have done it before without anything more than what I was already using, the material, pencil, a tape measure and a miter box.
- 31.9k
19
votes
Should hardwood floors go all the way to wall under kitchen cabinets?
That is just fine. The only possible downside is that if you decide to re-arrange the kitchen in the future and the area will become "uncovered", you will have to deal with it at that point. ...
- 4,867
19
votes
Should hardwood floors go all the way to wall under kitchen cabinets?
There are arguments for not having the flooring under the cabinets at all (if it's "floating" flooring, the cabinets on top "pin" that part of the flooring to the floor so it does ...
- 152k
18
votes
How to cut wood panel for angled ceiling?
A sliding bevel, which is a fairly low-cost tool designed for exactly this type of job - the blade can be set to match an unknown angle and locked, then it can either be measured, or used directly in ...
- 152k
18
votes
What is the best way to bridge a huge gap between hardwood and tile?
Updated based on revisions to the question.
The way I see it you have two options, neither of which is nearly as complicated as your proposed solution.
Install a tile accent row with a beveled or ...
- 110k
18
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Is it appropriate to sand a hardwood floor with a 20, 60, 100 grit sequence?
I'd only consider 20 if you know you need to remove significant material--such as when dealing with deep scratches or stains. Otherwise I'd start with 60. If that doesn't work quickly enough on the ...
- 110k
17
votes
Accepted
run electrical conduit underneath hardwood floor?
Cut a few openings in your current subfloor, spanning across from the centers of joists, and pull flex conduit (or just cable if that's all that's needed). You'll easily be able to drill through the ...
- 110k
16
votes
Accepted
Removed front closet doors and hardwood below is a different color
The rest of your floor has been stained a darker color and has also weathered with exposure to air.
You have a few choices of how to handle this, listed here from hardest to easiest:
Refinish the ...
- 2,498
14
votes
How can I protect a hardwood floor from a rolling office chair?
In two old homes now I've shredded the wood floor under my chair, monster splinters eventually emerging. I work at home in semi-rural New Hampshire. I think they're very old pine floors, so softwood....
- 239
14
votes
What is the best way to bridge a huge gap between hardwood and tile?
I think the solution can be even easier. Most hardware stores will carry uneven transition pieces. They're almost always wood and often are available in a variety of colored stains to match the wood ...
- 21.7k
12
votes
Replacing hardwood floor in 100 year old house with no subfloor
I will repeat some answers that you already have but, it is all part of my answers that will have different nuances.
To give my summary on the idea of floor replacement, and using the second picture ...
- 31.9k
11
votes
Replacing hardwood floor in 100 year old house with no subfloor
Considering the work and expense involved in replacement, I'd be looking hard at trying anything possible for squeak remediation. What comes to mind is injecting epoxy (or perhaps something else?) to ...
- 152k
10
votes
Should hardwood floors go all the way to wall under kitchen cabinets?
Things may be different outside the UK, but I've never found the "top coat" flooring to go all the way to wall under cabinets. The cabinets generally have extendible legs so you can get the ...
- 466
9
votes
Is it appropriate to sand a hardwood floor with a 20, 60, 100 grit sequence?
Start with the fine stuff, if it's too slow go for the coarser stuff.
From the look in the photo, 60 or 100 would probably be suitable for the first pass.
Hire a drum sander for the middle of the ...
- 15.6k
9
votes
Is it appropriate to sand a hardwood floor with a 20, 60, 100 grit sequence?
Try starting with the 100 grit and see what happens. You can always switch down to a coarser grit and continue, then return to the finer ones later.
From your photos, looks like the wood itself is in ...
- 7,953
8
votes
Should hardwood floors go all the way to wall under kitchen cabinets?
I did a similar job with tiles, but stopped the tiles at the base of the cabinet. Rationale for this decision was that if a tile near the cabinet cracked or otherwise became damaged, it was easier to ...
- 4,750
8
votes
Remove Trim/Baseboards Installed Prior to Hardwood Floors (No Leverage)
An oscillating tool is your friend. It looks like it would reach to the bottom nail. Looks like you were able to pull the top of the board out enough to get to the bottom nail. You also may be able to ...
- 5,071
8
votes
Is it appropriate to sand a hardwood floor with a 20, 60, 100 grit sequence?
As one of the comments asks, what's wrong with the floor? It looks pretty good. If you're just wanting to add a new coat of finish, use a fine grit (120 or even higher) to scuff up the floor before ...
- 259
8
votes
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How can I deal with gaps under shoe moulding?
Since you're not asking how to level the floor, and since that would be a much more substantial project requiring much more information, I'll just address the molding detail.
Base shoe exists in part ...
- 110k
7
votes
Accepted
How do I remove stuck (melted?) foam from under carpet on hardwood floor?
I suppose I should post the solution we eventually came up with.
We tried everything. Goo-gone. Soapy water. Various hardwood floor cleaners. Alcohol. Windex. Dry ice. Steam. Swiffer Wet Jet. ...
7
votes
Can't replace hardwood floors, what are my options?
Yes you can use the existing floor as a subfloor, but I humbly submit, that the brittle cement based self leveling underlayment would not do well sandwiched between two wood surfaces, and a slew of ...
- 31.9k
7
votes
Accepted
Can't replace hardwood floors, what are my options?
Talk to a hardwood installation company. You might be surprised at what they can do with your floor in your budget. It might be too expensive depending on the extent of the damage, but a lot of ...
- 3,253
7
votes
Accepted
Why does the riser go before tread when installing hardwood on stairs?
The riser is installed first for the reason that you want a nice tight fit along the top of the riser to the tread above it. There is always the possibility that there is a small variation in the ...
- 62.3k
7
votes
How did they drive nails into hardwood before modern power tools?
How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Don't discount the fact that everything was hand nailed at one point. Sheathing a building in board by hand works wonders for increasing efficiency with a hammer.
...
- 3,390
7
votes
Should hardwood floors go all the way to wall under kitchen cabinets?
We do not install hardwood in kitchen under cabinets on the plumbing/gas wall.
Your last row should sit about 1/4" from cabinets - you may need to rip these planks.
I am a little perplexed at ...
- 46.6k
7
votes
Accepted
How can I tell how my hardwood floor is attached to my joists below, if there is no subfloor and no visible nails?
Generally, flooring is tongue & groove and nails are driven at an angle through the groove and into the subfloor/joist below. If the flooring is not T&G, then it would be face nailed. If you'...
- 33.6k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible