This is a great Board and I have learned a lot about underlayments and subfloors, but I have a problem as result of poor planning and need creativity advice, if any is to be found.

I live in Colorado and I have 500 sqft. Of BR111 ¾ Cumaru (Brazilian teak) on-site ready for installation. When I pulled up the existing floor cover, I found 5/8 particleboard over ¾ t&g plywood subfloor. The underlayment is glued and nailed to the subfloor and there is no easy way to get the particleboard out, especially around the kitchen cabinets. I have learned from this forum that it is recommended to remove the particleboard, but being that the subfloor my be destroyed in the process, is there any way what-so-ever to install ¾ hardwood over the existing particleboard such as using long staples and glue?

Thanks,
John

This is why I never recommend gluing down anything directly to subfloors, except for trims perhaps. I, personally, cannot recommend installing over the particle board. I know it is done. It will be your choice. Remove the particle board and fix the subfloors, or ignore the NWFA and NOFM guidelines and lay your new floor over the p. board.

Read the Signature line under all my posts .... very good advice in your case especially. I agree (once again) whole heartedly with Gary. With a power screwdriver you can find almost all of those pesky hard to find glue covered screws in the particle board (you mentioned it was nailed, but just incase you find screws too ). After that a wrecking prybar and a decent hammer and leather gloves and approximately 2 1/2 qts. of elbow grease should do the rest. There are 4"-5" wide razor scrapers for sale in most flooring departments of your local big box stores to help with additional glue removal (scraping glue off OSB is tricky but do-able).
A rental store may help with a handy toe-kick saw to get under your toe kicks if your removing around cabinets (when you see one you'll understand).
If your subfloor still closely resemles flat when you are done but needs repair, then you can sheath over it with the proper plywood to smooth it out.
If you're 'tool-wise' and aggressive this all will take one long day. If a brother-in-law helps you ... probably 3 days (private joke ... hope he's not reading )

Now that you realize that this all sounds like too much work ... read the signature area below and truly understand why we charge as much or even sometimes more for this service as the actual install....

Good Luck, be careful, and try to have fun, and remember that this too shall pass and it will ALL be beautiful when you are done