As discussed, you can lay LVT on floorboards. This includes directly onto floorboards, or onto a subfloor installed over the floorboards. Both are viable options and will give a fantastic, stable finish to your tiles. Check out our Amtico LVT flooring.
You can use things like floating vinyl planks or other vinyl flooring options. The key is to pick a solution that sticks to the hardwood subfloor without needing any glue, staples, or nails.
This can be covered with skirting boards or a suitable trim. Overall, laying laminate flooring over floorboards can be a great way to update and modernize your space, as long as you take the necessary precautions and ensure that the underlying surface is suitable.
It's possible to lay solid wood flooring directly onto existing floorboards if they are clean, dry and level. If you're fixing solid wood flooring to existing timber, then nailing – using secret nails - is your best option.
Yes, you can lay LVT on floorboards and it can be a quick way to refresh your home. However, before you start laying LVT on floorboards it is important to consider the following factors: Are the floorboards in good condition?
What do you put down before vinyl flooring? As discussed in this guide, it's important to create a completely flat and level surface before laying vinyl flooring. In most cases, this means adding a layer of thin plywood on top of your floorboards, secured with small tack nails.
Laying LVT flooring on floorboards
Vinyl flooring can be installed over floorboards as a general rule. It's actually recommended to put a plywood layer of 14 inches (6 mm) on top of the subfloor before installing vinyl.
Laminate flooring is one of the easiest types to install over hardwood. There is virtually no preparation that is required. If, however, the hardwood flooring underneath is wavy, you will want to level it before placing laminate over it.
Underlays are useful for stability, insulation, sound reduction, and moisture protection. Underlay is commonly used for floating wood floors. Fixed floors do not usually incorporate an underlay as they are fixed directly to the subfloor.
A LONG established method of preparing a subfloor before laying resilient or textile floorcoverings is to overboard the area with a suitable grade of plywood or hardboard. The floorcoverings can then be loose-laid if required on a domestic project or bonded, more usually, if it's a commercial project.
If possible, lay the new floor at 90 degrees to the existing floor and nail at 300mm intervals. If the new floor must run the same way as the old one, lay plywood of at least 6mm thickness to the old floor before laying the new one.
Foam: Being one of the least expensive underlayments you can buy, foam fits as the perfect choice to be put under your vinyl floor, especially if your subfloor is made of plywood. However, make sure that you have no moisture issues as foam and water aren't a good combination when it comes to flooring.
Chipboard and plywood are suitable subfloors for wood flooring providing they are of sufficient thickness to support the floor and are of good quality. For fitting block parquet flooring a minimum thickness of 18mm is required and it must be marine grade ply.
Yes, this is possible.
The trouble with laying vinyl floor directly on top of floorboards is that – regardless of their age – your floorboards are unlikely to be perfectly level. There may also be gaps in the floorboards, which will show through the vinyl causing weak points where damage can occur.
For very uneven flooring, laminate sheets or tiles may be a better bet. This material is more flexible, but may reveal the imperfections in the surface. The most durable and attractive option for an uneven floor is often a pour on option, such as epoxy.
If the engineered wood flooring planks are at least 18mm thick they can be secret nailed or secret screwed directly onto the existing wooden floor boards. Specially designed nails or screws should be used (see above) and they should be approximately 300mm apart to provide firmness and strength.
A floating floor is a floor that does not need to be nailed or glued to the subfloor. The term floating floor refers to the installation method, but is often used synonymously with laminate flooring. It is applied now to other coverings such as floating tile systems and vinyl flooring in a domestic context.
If you're wondering what's the best underlay for laminate or wood flooring, Fibreboard is a brilliant choice. It helps smooth uneven floors, reduces noise and acts as an excellent thermal insulator. Not to mention, it's also the number one choice of underlay for laminate and wooden floors.
Yes, LVT Flooring Can be Laid Over Floorboards
You just need to make sure the floorboards are level, that the tiles have been acclimatised properly to the room conditions, and that a subfloor is installed if necessary.
Whether you're a DIYer or a professional contractor, installing vinyl flooring over wood or tile is definitely possible.
Another option for laying new solid hardwood floor onto existing floorboards is to lay plywood or chipboard on top of the existing floorboards before installing the new floor. This can provide peace of mind and ensure your new floor's stability, although it adds an extra cost to the project.
Subfloor preparation is key when laying LVT flooring. Use either a latex screed over a solid, concrete floor, or flooring grade plywood, with a minimum of 6mm. If needed, you can smooth over plywood with a suitable fibre reinforced smoothing compound, which may be required over uneven joints, known as 'feathering'.
Levelling compound can be used on a variety of substrates including concrete, screed, existing tiles, and timber floors. Ideal for using in areas where the floor dips or needs filling in. Due to the nature of self-levelling compound, excessive amounts of water are not needed.