Installing new flooring is not your everyday household repair. This is a full-on home renovation, and renovations typically involve some form of demolition. In the case of flooring installation, that means removing the flooring you currently have in your home.
In an attempt to speed up the installation process, some people might be tempted to skip the demolition stage and install new flooring over their existing flooring.
As flooring specialists with 20+ years of experience, we sincerely advise against doing this, and we’re happy to explain why.
So, the short answer is no: In most cases, it is not recommended to install new flooring over your existing flooring.
The Risks of Installing New Flooring Over Existing Flooring
Installing new flooring over your existing flooring means the former will only be as strong as the latter. In other words, if there’s a problem with your existing flooring or your existing flooring fails, your new floors will fail with it.
How can you tell if there’s a serious problem with your existing flooring? By removing it and inspecting the sub-flooring underneath, and that’s exactly what the flooring company will do before installing your new floors. In addition to checking for repairs, the flooring company will prepare your sub-flooring for whatever type of new flooring it will now be supporting. They’ll also make sure your sub-flooring is clean, level, and dry.
On that note, we also have a fairly humid climate here in Austin. We have to be extra conscious about creating environments that encourage the build-up of moisture and mold, and putting new flooring over existing flooring does just that.
Consider Height and Thickness Issues of Overlaying Flooring
Another risk of installing new flooring over existing flooring is height issues. Your floors will be higher, which could prevent doors from closing smoothly. Maybe your refrigerator will no longer slide under that overhead cabinet, or your stove will no longer be flush against a countertop. You see, most homes are not built to accommodate excessively high or thick floors. So, unless you plan on also adjusting the height of every single door in your home, there’s a very good chance your doors will scrape against your new floors.
What About Floating Floors?
A floating floor is not a type of flooring. It’s an installation method in which each plank or tile is attached to one another, as opposed to the traditional method of securing the flooring against sub-flooring. Several types of flooring can be installed this way, such as engineered hardwood, luxury vinyl plank, and tile.
However, floating floors are only possible for homes that meet certain criteria. The subfloor must be in great shape, and there can be no risk of raising the floor height (e.g. doors will still be able to open smoothly). It’s ultimately up to your flooring company to determine if your home is suitable for floating floors.
In our experience, though, the risks of installing new flooring over existing floors far outweigh the potential savings from skipping floor removal. If something goes wrong afterwards, the cost of the repair (on top of what you’ve already paid for your new floors) will dwarf the cost of removing existing flooring.
For our money, removing and replacing is the way to go. If you’re still not sure, we’d be happy to come to your home and let you know if floating floors are a possibility. Give us a call and we’ll answer any flooring questions you may have.
