Replacing pine floorboards with solid oak flooring?

BARGAINHUNTER!

I am looking for a new solid oak floor for my hallway (about 8m x 1m). i have pine floorboards at the moment which I stripped and varnished, and now they look terrible, some of them split where football boots have walked on them, massive gaps, scratches etc. As I live in an old period property, I was wanting to retain my beautiful skirting boards, and taking them off would possibly damage them and certainly damage the plaster. The floorboards are laid directly onto floor joists, with a void of about 1ft and them bare earth! Because of the state of the floorboards at the moment, the drafts are terrible. My plan was to remove the pine floorboards, fix insillation in between the joists and then lay the new oak floor directly on top in place of the floor boards. This way, it should fit under the skirtings. Do you think this would be ok and the floor stable enough?

27col

If you can get real oak boards the same thickness as your old pine floor then it should work out ok I would have thought. The only problem would be if you tried to use t&g boards. You would not be able to get the board under the skirting on at least one side. Skirting boards are fitted last in order to tidy up the gaps left between the last board and the wall. If you removed the skirting board on just one side, it would help a lot. Even if it was damaged by removal, both it and the wall could easily be repaired.
Alternatively you could remove the tongue on just one board, which would mean that it would be possible to get the boards under the skirting. If you are planning to insulate between the joists, then the loss of a single tongue would not introduce a draught.

wallbash

Have you found a source for the new Oak planks ? Can see the high cost .
If the 'football boots' ruined the last floor, have the little tykes stopped playing?

jockster211

Hiya BargainHunter

The regular solid Oak flooring you can buy at various outlets is designed to be overlaid on your current floor. This flooring comes in various lengths & is meant to be laid in a random pattern. I'd doubt it could be laid onto you're joists. As a previous poster has rightly said try & get Oak boards at the same thickness as your current boards. I think this will be quite a difficult undertaking without removing the skirtings first. Its also likely that the pine boards are under the skirtings making them awkward to remove, even when cut:mad: .

As you've pointed out the best look is when the skirtings are fitted over the new floor, but have you thought of trying some beading at the floor/skirting edge & not removing the pine flooring or skirtings? When mitred & finished properly beading can look very nice.

Jockster

BARGAINHUNTER!

wallbash wrote: »

Have you found a source for the new Oak planks ? Can see the high cost .
If the 'football boots' ruined the last floor, have the little tykes stopped playing?

I have looked at the B and Q solid oak flooring which works out at £35 a metre and there is 15% off that for the next few days. Im going to pop in after Christmas to see if they have been reduced any more!

Boys are a bit older now and know to take their boots off/put them on again by the front door and not walk over the wooden floor with them on!!

BARGAINHUNTER!

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As you've pointed out the best look is when the skirtings are fitted over the new floor, but have you thought of trying some beading at the floor/skirting edge & not removing the pine flooring or skirtings? When mitred & finished properly beading can look very nice.

Jockster[/quote]

I have thought about using beading around the edge, but I was conscious of the fact that I would probably lose about an inch of my skirting board height if I laid the floor directly on top of my existing one! I have seen somewhere in a magazine where they used a beading in a white colour as apposed to the normal practice of using a beading the same colour as the floor. This tricks the eye into thinking the skirting boards are deeper than they are! Anyone else any thoughts on this?

andeebee

Hi, I am doing pretty much the same job with my dining room floor (currently old, narrow, draughty pine floorboards like yours). I have been looking at the various options for some time and want a good job doing so I intend to do this -
1. Tear up old pine floorboards and skirting.
2. Fit 50mm Kingspan type insulation boards between floor joists (leaving a 30mm gap for ventilation on top).
3. Fit 18mm Flooring grade chipboard which is supplied in large sheets and not too expensive for just one room.
4. Fit engineered floorboards, using tounge and grooves and secret nailing.
5. Replace skirting.

Its a lot of work but when finished I know the floor will be solid, the room warm and the boards are not going to warp or creak. It also gives you the opportunity to inspect your sub floor for ventilation problems or rot/rodents or allows you to lay new phone cables or move electric sockets while its up.

One huge downside is this will obviously raise the floor level up - I have to do a similar job on the adjacent room to meet the new floor level to avoid a small step.
I have heard replacing your existing boards with just solid wood is not a good idea. Although it will work (after all its what they used to do!) they wont stand the test of time and its worth going that extra mile to make the job last. I want my job to cost as little as possible but do not want to skimp if the boards are going to start moving or splitting. Another note consider engineered boards as they are much stronger than solid. Without the correct base your central heating will start making them bow in the middle (called 'cupping') and you will then have to start considering replacing them again (more expense).
Just thought I would offer a suggestion to your post. Good luck with your project!

missile

Bargainhunter[/QUOTE]I have thought about using beading around the edge, but I was conscious of the fact that I would probably lose about an inch of my skirting board height if I laid the floor directly on top of my existing one! I have seen somewhere in a magazine where they used a beading in a white colour as apposed to the normal practice of using a beading the same colour as the floor. This tricks the eye into thinking the skirting boards are deeper than they are! Anyone else any thoughts on this?[/QUOTE]

Beading comes in the same wood and shade as the flooring. B&Q are not the cheapest. I would suggest you shop arround. Try a builders merchant and or on line suppliers. It is not as easy to lay as you might think and unless you are a competent DIYer, I would also suggest you get a quote from a good joiner. He will have access to trade prices and professional tools for the job.

olias

"I have thought about using beading around the edge, but I was conscious of the fact that I would probably lose about an inch of my skirting board height if I laid the floor directly on top of my existing one! I have seen somewhere in a magazine where they used a beading in a white colour as apposed to the normal practice of using a beading the same colour as the floor. This tricks the eye into thinking the skirting boards are deeper than they are! Anyone else any thoughts on this?"


I have done this (painted beading to match white skirting) and it looked great. You can also then use cheaper 'quarter round' beading off the shelf, rather than expensive pre finished oak beading to match the floor.

If you do go down this route, I would reccommend painting the beading before applying, then touching it up when attached, as painting it in situ is a nightmare without getting paint on your flooring!

I would also investigate the insulation you are thinking about putting down as this may well cause a damp problem as the void is there for a reason, to allow circulation of air via air bricks to keep the wooden floor and joists dry

Olias