In my house, built in 1958, there is parquet flooring in the living room and bedroom. Unfortunately, it is no longer in the best condition. It is a light-colored floor with areas that have darkened unevenly. You can see where the previous owner had placed their furniture. In front of the patio door, some individual pieces are loose, and overall there are numerous gaps.
About 15 years ago, the parquet was sanded and lacquered once. At that time, it seems an attempt was made to fill the joints, but this mostly did not last long.
I am strongly tempted to simply remove the entire floor and replace it with wooden floorboards.
I am only wondering what might happen to the screed when I remove the glued-down flooring. How likely is it that I will face additional costs for repairing the screed? Could someone assess the risk? What could be the worst-case scenario?
How can I find out if the floor can be sanded again? (Aside from trial and error)
I would appreciate it if someone could share their experience regarding this...
About 15 years ago, the parquet was sanded and lacquered once. At that time, it seems an attempt was made to fill the joints, but this mostly did not last long.
I am strongly tempted to simply remove the entire floor and replace it with wooden floorboards.
I am only wondering what might happen to the screed when I remove the glued-down flooring. How likely is it that I will face additional costs for repairing the screed? Could someone assess the risk? What could be the worst-case scenario?
How can I find out if the floor can be sanded again? (Aside from trial and error)
I would appreciate it if someone could share their experience regarding this...
Hello "Neckarweg,"
A straightforward answer to your inquiry is not possible—although it might be tempting—if one wants to provide you with a reliable response.
You mention the construction year of the property and that the parquet floor was sanded about 15 years ago, but nothing else.
Therefore, we do not know whether it is solid hardwood parquet or engineered parquet (previously often called prefinished parquet).
Your clues suggest "gluing," which would certainly mean more work for a floor replacement.
The decision to either remove and replace or to refurbish/renovate should depend, among other things, on whether the parquet floor consists of solid wood (then it almost always makes sense to renovate the surface) or an older engineered parquet.
In the latter case, the risk is obvious that the wear layer (then less than 4mm) could unintentionally be sanded down to the core layer during the next sanding (resulting in total damage), or the bonding between the core and surface layers could deteriorate due to aging.
For old engineered parquet, the tendency is therefore towards removal.
------
An old solid hardwood parquet has a life expectancy of at least 80 years.
The appearance of gaps between the strips or planks is normal and can be visually neutralized during a parquet renovation by filling.
Since it cannot be ruled out that the adhesive in solid wood loses its bonding strength over time, it would be advisable to check the areas where the boards sound loose (as you pointed out) to see where and what kind of break occurs.
A master parquet installer could certainly assess this (although, of course, the impartiality of the evaluation might be influenced by economic considerations…).
--------------------------
Your question:
"How do I find out if the floor can still be sanded?"
is not easy to answer regarding engineered parquet but very straightforward for solid planks or strips.
Simply put:
If it is an old engineered/pre-finished parquet that has already been renovated once, then the planned new sanding inevitably poses a risk of parquet damage both for you and for the contractor carrying out the work!
-----------------
Best regards, KlaRa
A straightforward answer to your inquiry is not possible—although it might be tempting—if one wants to provide you with a reliable response.
You mention the construction year of the property and that the parquet floor was sanded about 15 years ago, but nothing else.
Therefore, we do not know whether it is solid hardwood parquet or engineered parquet (previously often called prefinished parquet).
Your clues suggest "gluing," which would certainly mean more work for a floor replacement.
The decision to either remove and replace or to refurbish/renovate should depend, among other things, on whether the parquet floor consists of solid wood (then it almost always makes sense to renovate the surface) or an older engineered parquet.
In the latter case, the risk is obvious that the wear layer (then less than 4mm) could unintentionally be sanded down to the core layer during the next sanding (resulting in total damage), or the bonding between the core and surface layers could deteriorate due to aging.
For old engineered parquet, the tendency is therefore towards removal.
------
An old solid hardwood parquet has a life expectancy of at least 80 years.
The appearance of gaps between the strips or planks is normal and can be visually neutralized during a parquet renovation by filling.
Since it cannot be ruled out that the adhesive in solid wood loses its bonding strength over time, it would be advisable to check the areas where the boards sound loose (as you pointed out) to see where and what kind of break occurs.
A master parquet installer could certainly assess this (although, of course, the impartiality of the evaluation might be influenced by economic considerations…).
--------------------------
Your question:
"How do I find out if the floor can still be sanded?"
is not easy to answer regarding engineered parquet but very straightforward for solid planks or strips.
Simply put:
If it is an old engineered/pre-finished parquet that has already been renovated once, then the planned new sanding inevitably poses a risk of parquet damage both for you and for the contractor carrying out the work!
-----------------
Best regards, KlaRa
Neckarweg schrieb:
If the ceiling height is only 236 cm (7 ft 9 in), how can I get a nice wooden floor without losing too much room height? You can choose either 2-layer or 3-layer engineered wood planks. Both are suitable for glue-down installation and come in different thicknesses.
3-layer planks are usually used for floating installations,
while 2-layer planks are always glued down.
Pay attention to the wear layer, which should be at least 4 mm (0.16 in) thick (this allows for multiple sanding sessions). The total thickness varies but is available from 10 mm (0.4 in) upwards. For example, Haro offers a wear layer of about 5 mm (0.2 in) with a total thickness of 12 mm (0.5 in).
Neckarweg schrieb:
Can a layperson successfully glue down a wooden floor? If you’re reasonably handy, yes. The key is to strictly follow the manufacturer’s instructions (regarding adhesive, notched trowel, substrate preparation, etc.).
Neckarweg schrieb:
If planks, then in all living areas, but individually Yes, usually the expansion joints in the screed correspond to the joints the parquet should have as well.
Neckarweg schrieb:
Or continuous, so basically as one piece In my opinion, that should not be done—unless the screed has no expansion joints. Then it can be done for a certain floor area.
User @KlaRa can probably provide expert advice on this.
That’s all from me for now.
KlaRa schrieb:
The answer to the question "Remove and replace – or – refurbish/renovate" should partly depend on whether the parquet flooring is solid wood Especially since @Neckarweg mentioned loose spots, I personally believe that the floor might already be "loosened" in several places. This can be checked.
My experience has shown that even if the gaps are sealed again, they tend to open up again over time.
Certainly hard to judge from a distance, which is why it is clearly better to consult a professional who can assess the situation on site through direct inspection.
Similar topics