On 07/06/2015 11:09, WeeBob wrote:

I'm about to start laying some engineered hardwood flooring and before I
start, I'd welcome opinions.

The current floor is patchy quality old floorboards. My plan is to lay
plywood down on top of them. From what I read, I should nail or screw
the plywood to the existing floor... but also leave an expansion gap.

Surely there is a contradiction here? If I fix the plywood, then it
won't be able to expand. So what would be the right thing to do (and why)?

Also, I've enough underlay to do the room twice and I could put a layer
of underlay under and over the plywood.

i.e. floorboard, underlay, plywood, underlay, hardwood-floor.

Are there any advantages or disadvantages to this?


FWIW, I've just done 2 floors in 12mm laminate. Very poor condition
boards, having been hacked about for wiring and CH over the years. I
screwed the boards down very liberally, and replaced a few where the dip
was more than a couple of mm. Seems to have worked very well (laid on
top of fibre board), and the 'spring' in an attic room has more or less
gone.

I'd do the same again - cheap (about £10/m inc fibreboard) and
effective. One thing I'd take the time to do is new skirting (or take
the old off and replace). Apart from the fact it'd look a lot better,
MDF skirting is about the same price as those horrible skinny trim
pieces. I did this in the last room and it looks fine.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47717472@N03/18546832896/

using

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Venez...oring/p/131874

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Cheers, Rob