I would like to install new hardwood floors but currently have parquet glued to the plywood subfloor. A floor installing company told me that the parquet will have to be removed before new hardwood can be installed because if the hardwood were installed over the parquet the nails would shatter the parquet.

I have started removing the parquet, but the glue is bonded well to the plywood and its difficult to remove the squares without splintering the plywood and leaving small 1/8" to 1/4" craters in the plywood. The flooring company said the splintering should not be a problem, but others (who may have less experience) tell me that it will be an issue when the hardwood is installed. Any advice from the voices of experience?

The alternative would be to remove the entire subfloor down to the floor trusses. This scares me a bit because I am afraid of damaging the floor trusses and I suspect this will cost a lot more.

Thanks for any advice. Dave

Who ever installed a gluedown of the subfloor without underlayment on top should be tared and feathered.

I'd keep taking it up and put down a 1/2 inch plywood underlayment. You could go thinner than 1/2 inch if your going to have height issues.

just finish removing then assess the situation..if it gets weak and spongy, you may want to put another thinner layer over it .

I have compensated for some crappy sub floors simply by nailing directly to the joist during installation..
if you continue to delaminate it and it is full of craters,dips and dives..i think it best to put at least a 3/8 layer down....then install the wood floor.

Thanks, I'll keep going.

I'd shoot a 15 gauge staple into the parquet and see just how much that guy wanted the cash to do what you are doing. Splintering.... Hahaha!
A bonded fillet, doesn't split that well.


I'd be installing over that thin parquet in a heartbeat.

parkett glued down to plywood shattering? not going to happen.

My first thought is that you wouldn't want to install on top of parquet unless you're sure the parquet is really solidly down and with glue, it should be very tight. That being said, I think parquet is less than ideal as a substrate. I'd opt to get rid of it in most cases and maybe leave it in a few.

AS for stripping the plywood to the joists, it wont hurt the joists but if there isn't a height issue, do as the other's recommended and put a layer of 3/8 over and then install your new flooring.

Im in Pauls camp..parquet should be removed by guideline...however..
not that I wouldn't chance it in the right situation..

I removed the baseboard molding today and see that the parquet is glued to what looks like a 3/8" plywood underlayment which is glued to the 3/4" plywood subfloor. The subfloor is nailed (and maybe glued) to engineered floor trusses. There are no screws or nails in the underlayment so the glue is all that's securing it to the subfloor.

I would love to be able to remove the underlayment with the parquet. I suppose if I tried to do that I'd shred the subfloor in the process. I wonder if there is a sawing tool that I could set to the right depth and cut between the two layers, like a large powerful version of a multimaster. I checked quickly on the web and did not see anything like this. Would there be any other way to remove the underlayment?

Yeah, it's called a Skilsaw. Adjust to the correct depth and run cuts arross the floor and pull it up. Lots of hard work but it has to be done if you want it to standard.

I was thinking of a tool that would allow me to sandwich the blade between the two layers of plywood. Maybe shaped like a grinder but with a blade.

Well, liek Stephen said, start with a skill saw to open up an area and then maybe try a sawzall to get in between the layers of plywood.You really need to get up an area or parquet to see what is holding what. You might find that the 3/8 is only nailed to the layer of 3/4 which means you might be able to get a long bar in between the layers.

Just remember to think happy thoughts and play some Barbara Streisand music while you work. If you don't have any Streisand CD's , Ann Murray should work .

A grinder that is like a blade would be a crain saw.

Thanks. I don't have any Barbra Streisand or Anne Murray music, but maybe I can find some used cassettes at the local Thrift Shop. Sounds like I may need to buy Greatest Hits Volume 1-4.

I have removed some of the parquet and don't see any nails in the top layer of plywood, at least so far .

Do you think this plan would work? Or will I just ruin the subfloor?

I doubt that you will ruin the sub floor . As mentioned, if removing the parquet takes some chunks of plywood off, you can add a layer or 3/8 , 1/4 or whatever thickness you want that will help you achieve your final height. Worst case scenario, you replace the subfloor . But if you do it wont be too bad because plywood isn't very expensive

The main thing is not to try to install an expensive floor on a surface that might not hold it properly.That would be a hair pulling event. The individual pieces that make up a parquet tile tend to not hold together that great . Some will hold a staple and some wont.

Just curious as to why nailing thru a 1/4 piece of oak a bad idea? I'm taking glued to plywood like this one? I'm not a fan of covering up someone else's mess but this is the one exception. A properly glued thin floor to plywood makes it one homogenous piece of plywood at that point.