Factors in Installing A New Floor Over Your Old One

When it’s time to think about your options for a new floor, whether you are updating a Los Angeles kitchen, bathroom, or living room, you don’t necessarily have to worry yourself about contending with a big preliminary teardown. In most cases, a new floor can be laid over the existing one with proper preparation. The first step, of course, is to asses the situation.

In most homes a typical wood framed floor is composed of a number of layers. The basic structure is supported by 2×10 joists which are covered with what is called a subfloor. The subfloor can be either a layer of plywood or boards nailed directly to the joists. The next layer is called the underlayment which is a thin plywood layer that acts as a perfect substrate for most flooring types. While this layer is not absolutely required, it is typically used for added stability and smoothness; as a smooth, solid surface is essential to ensure a long lasting floor.

For an effective installation you should first begin by inspecting the subfloor for chips and loose areas. Secure these spots with nails or screws and remove any areas of water damage before moving on to the underlayment. If you determine that it is sound you are ready to move on to the next layer.

A couple of new floor installations in Los Angeles: shiny solid hardwood floor in Santa Monica, and a cool retro linoleum in a Brentwood kitchen

In removing and inspecting these layers you might be surprised to find that any number of floors have been laid right on top of on another. This is not unusual, nor is it necessarily an indicator of shoddy past workmanship. But if you do find that there are so many layers that the subfloor has become unstable or out of level you should consider starting with a fresh surface.

I cannot stress enough that you do not want to take shortcuts when you are installing a new floor. It is essential that you create a sound, level surface upon which to install or you may have a floor that starts to fail much sooner than you would expect. You will want to be especially careful if your new chosen floor is to be a “snap together” laminate, or Pergo flooring. This type of surface installed on an unleveled or unsound floor can cause the members to actually separate and cause you a major aesthetic headache. Be careful when a product like this promises easy installation, because although the installation may be much simpler than other products, in the long run it may not deliver the quality that you would like.

Here some important considerations to make when installing on top of different floor types:

1. Resilient vinyl flooring: these floors can serve as a good foundation for most new floorings, including laminate, hardwood, or even carpet. It is important to make sure the surface is smooth, stable, and level. Inspect the floor for loose seams, tears, chips, air bubs, and other areas where the adhesive bond may have failed. If you encounter an abundance of these issues, you should tear up the floor at these spots and fill the voids with floor leveling compound. If you are really unsure about the stability of the floor you might want to take the step to install a new underlayment right on top to provide a uniform surface for your new floor.

2. Ceramic tile floors: although it may seem difficult, a new floor can be laid over this surface. First inspect the tiles and remove any loose pieces and material, then fill those areas with floor leveling compound. For a brand new surface, you can use an embossing leveler right on the tile to create a solid, uniform layer.

3. Old hardwood flooring: new carpet can be installed relatively easily over this flooring—so long as it is a nailed or glued down surface. If the existing floor is a “floating floor” which is typically a laminate material resting on a thin foam pad, then you must remove it entirely. Failing to do so will not provide a stable enough surface for your new material.

All in all, bear these simple tips in mind and your new floor installation should be a stunning success.

Jannone Construction and Development
502 San Vicente #105 Santa Monica, CA, 90402 USA
marc@jannonedevelopment.com • 310-989-3499

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Glass tile backsplash in West Hollywood kitchen.

If you are trying to sell your home, rent it out, or just thinking about updating it, the kitchen is a great place to start. Kitchens and bathrooms are the most popular rooms in a home, especially when upgrading. Even though the thought of a kitchen renovation seems expensive and time consuming, there are several things you and your contractor can do that are budget friendly and will make a world of difference to your home.

First, you can go to a local home improvement store and find various colors and shapes of tile backsplash. If on a stricter budget, there are often clearance items in this area. Pictured left, is an example of one kitchen backsplash we did in blue glass tiles.

Another good way to update an outdated kitchen is painting or staining your cabinetry. If you have wood cabinets and they look worn out, chipped or just out of style, there is a vast array of stains and paint colors that you can choose from. There are even kits completely set up with all the equipment you need to sand, prep, and stain your cabinetry. Further, if your cabinets are in decent condition, simply updating all of the hardware can make a huge impact.

Additionally, upgrading laminate, linoleum or old tile floors can make a very big difference to your kitchen. Either hardwood, laminate wood (if you have a tighter budget), bamboo, or updated floor tiles are good options for any kitchen. This can also add a lot of value to your house if you ever want to resell; sometimes it can add more value than you actually paid for them because flooring is such a huge selling feature.

Lastly, another main way homeowners are finding cost efficient options to upgrade their kitchens is replacing countertops and surfaces. Great, and obvious solutions are stone slabs such as granite and marble. A more cost efficient option is tile countertops, there are even granite tiles that you can purchase for countertops. However, if you want something more smooth and don’t want to clean grout, there is a new option on the market called granite overlay. You get 100% granite countertops without the expense and mess of slab granite. Also, it is more eco-friendly because these granite overlay countertops are manufactured from existing granite pieces, and granite slabs are actually mined out of the earth. They are going to be much cheaper than any other slab stone, but more expensive than laminate or formica counters. There is minimal cleanup and no demolition also, because they can be installed on top of whatever existing countertops you have. If any of these stone options are still too expensive for your remodel, you can try updated laminate or even concrete countertops. Some newer laminates are made to look like granite so they look nicer, and these will be much cheaper than using any kind of natural stone. Concrete is another material that is used for countertops these days, and there are many colors to chose from.

All of these cost efficient updates around your kitchen will improve the look of your whole house and can even add significant value to it! Check back soon for more information on kitchen renovations!

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