Replacing 60Y old hardwood floor using the existing as guide reference

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Ivan Turbinca

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Joined
Jul 30, 2022
Messages
97
Location
Canada
I have the below layout for the main floor. The floor is 60Y old hardwood floor installed without and transitions in all the rooms excepting bathroom and kitchen
There is porcelain tiles and a transition (the tiles are higher ) in the kitchen and there is old linoleum tiles in the bathroom (which is next for renos) that will be replaced with tiles soon.
There are some short stairs that lead to the double doors you see at the right side of the picture
The foyer that is next to the entrance is where the short stairs land (from there you can either get out of the house or turn right and along the bottom (in the picture) wall you can take stairs to the basement

There is no subfloor and the plan is to remove the old hardwood room by room and to replace with new hardwood.

The question that I have is this

-Are there any drawbacks for the plan to start replacing the hardwood floor room by room starting from the smaller rooms (the left side of the picture) ? I am told that I need to be careful with the reference lines (chalk lines) that I need to draw when I start installing the floor. These need to be somehow parallel with all the east west (of the picture) walls. That is a good point but I already have a reference there ...that is the existing floor. There is practically an uninterrupted line of floor planks from the left side accross the hallway all the way to the living. If I start installing from one of those lines to the north side and south side of the picture then this should work. Am I missing anything here ?
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So your hardwood floor is your subfloor as in the hardwood floor is fastened directly to the joists? Most of the time subfloor (your hardwood floor) is installed first then walls are built on top of it. Is this the case with your house? So now you have to cut the subfloor to remove it where it is trapped underneath walls. How do you plan on supporting your new floor in these areas. What about interior walls that are supported by your current floor. This is gonna be A LOT of work.

Unless you plan on doing some major work to your house that involves this level of commitment, I’m gonna say it’s a horrible idea. Putting down a layer of plywood and installing a new floor is prolly your best bet.

How about just refinishing your hardwoods. Maybe jazz the place up with some new baseboards and door trim.
 
there is joists and there is strips of wood going in diagonal direction.(see the first picture)
The hardwood is nailed on top of these. See the second picture, a zoom in where you can spot the hardwood
 

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, I’m gonna say it’s a horrible idea. Putting down a layer of plywood and installing a new floor is prolly your best bet.
Ditto.

So the diagonal planks are the current subfloor? If you want a solid squeak free floor put down a layer of 3/4 plywood first. If you don't want any transitions start in the Living room and hallway. Starting in a small room isn't impossible but I wouldn't do it. That's Just asking for trouble.
 
Ditto.

So the diagonal planks are the current subfloor? If you want a solid squeak free floor put down a layer of 3/4 plywood first. If you don't want any transitions start in the Living room and hallway. Starting in a small room isn't impossible but I wouldn't do it. That's Just asking for trouble.
Not disagreeing but I need some reasoning that sits behind that recommendation
Can you please detail the on the troubles I might get into ?
My idea is to start small and learn as I progress toward the living where the mistakes are costly and seen by visitors. Not so much if they are in the smaller rooms.
 
And again I need to understand if following the lines for the existing floor is OK since I was told that the walls might not be parallel and square and that might cause some issues.
Also is it OK to work room by room as opposite to running a long line of the hardwood pieces along the longitudinal axis of the floor (small room ► hallway ► living) and then expand from there to the north and south of the above diagram
 
Well to state the obvious If you start square off a wall in a small room and it turns out that wall isn’t square with the bigger open area and/or hallway then you have a crooked floor everywhere. If you start straight and square in the bigger area and break into a smaller room that’s a little out of square it won’t be as noticeable. Now if you want to go measuring everything and snapping lines to make sure everything is square or just go off the old floor as you mentioned you can do that. But why would you want to?

As for the subfloor it’s best if it’s solid enough to hold a nail and stable enough so there’s no movement. I’m betting those planks are neither… Does the old floor squeak? Are there spaces at the joints?
 
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Get all the existing hardwood out, put down some vapor barrier and plywood over the diagonal subfloor. Now you have a fresh clean subfloor that will hold any nail, cleat or staple that you can throw at it.

The long shot through the middle of your house is your starting point. You can run a string line right down the middle of your hallway. Take measurements and compare them with the exterior walls and adjust your line as necessary. When you’re happy with it then you will exchange the string line for a chalk line and snap a control line. Next you will fasten some scab boards to the underlayment following the control line. This is what you will start installing off of. When you’ve gotten far enough you will remove the scab boards, insert some splines into the grooves and start installing the other way.

Installing the floor room by room is just fine once you establish a straight line to do that with and that straight line goes right through the middle of your house.

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Pretty much my plan excepting establishing lines.
I would say that the existing floor already has my lines there doesn't it ?
 
Once you rip up the old floor and put down new plywood that ship has sailed. If you like the way the existing floor is laid out and your new boards are the same width you can take a measurement and use it. But you'll only need the one line. As suggested through the living room, down the hall and into the bedroom. Follow CJ's advice. Screw down some scrap pieces to start your first row off of and then go to town. Try to set your line so there's at least 1/2 a board's width landing on your longest and most noticeable walls. If you can get the joints to land in the doorways you'll save yourself some fancy cutting.... GOOD LUCK!!
 

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