Hi --

I moved into a new home, and I have some old oak nailed down floors that are cannot be salvaged due to severe staining, at least according to a few refinishers I've had come out to the house.

I ended up buying 7/16" thick three inch wide planks of Mohawk Cherry Engineered Hardwood at a Flooring Store at a bargain price, enough to cover the whole floor. The man at the store said I could lay of subfloor over the existing floor and glue them down on the subfloor. Is this really possible?

I worry I made a terrible mistake. I want to avoid pulling up the existing floor, and raising the level of the floor does not concern me. Is there anyway to make this work?

You can fasten down an underlayment and glue the flooring to it.

No problem here!

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If you are going to glue the new floor down, I would recommend sanding the finish off of the old floor to ensure a good bond. Also, you may need to re-nail the old floor if it is lose at all. Adding a 3/8" plywood underlayment would be ideal. If you're nailing/stapling the new floor down, no need to sand the old floor unless it's very uneven.

hi --

Is it possible to nail down the new engineered hardwood to the existing hardwood?

Yes, as long as you run the new flooring in the opposite direction, than the way the existing is running.

Hi --

I have tried to glean as much information from people as I can in regards to putting down this flooring and from what I've heard from SOME people is if I put down engineered hardwood flooring over existing hardwood without a subfloor added that the existing hardwood will expand and contract and it will mess up the engineered hardwood on top. Is this true? I have gotten about a 75% response saying its okay to put down over the hardwood and 25% say I need to put down a subfloor. So I am confused!

Also, what kind of nailer will work to put down this flooring? It is only 7/16" thick.

THANK YOU ALL SOOOOOO MUCH!!!

If you want to go the same direction as the existing, it will jack with the new flooring, unless you add another layer of plywood over the existing hardwood. If you go across the opposite direction, it will have no effect.

I like my HighPro 4090-AS stapler, and 1½" long staples.

Interesting... why does running it the opposite direction prevent the new floor from getting jacked?

The shrink and swell of wood is in the widths, not the length. The vessels/cells of wood are like interlaced fingers, as each finger absorbs moisture they swell and you have dimensional growth across the widths, this is opposite as the wood loses moisture.

Double that shrink and swell as the other flooring is going to shrink and swell also, pulling massive gaps or massive compression cupping.

Hi --

I am looking at the HighPro Stapler and thinking of purchasing one. Will it work for a 7/16" thick piece of engineered hardwood?

Yes. It is good up to 5/8 thick flooring.

Okay --

You guys are really helpful, and I have ONE last question, I think, before I start. What is the best underlayment to get? It of course, would go over the existing hardwood.

Thank you, Austin Floor Guy.. I picked up the HighPro Stapler on Ebay.

3/8" plywood will do.

and don't get that junk at Hd or lowes .. go to a lumber yard if you have to and get a good plywood ..