# Forum Home Renovation Flooring  Laying floating or solid timber floors over old timber floors

## bunjiBing

Currently researching the idea of removing the carpet at my house and having either a Silkwood type product (prefinished hardwood layer floating floor) or a solid timber floor laid over the existing timber floors. I have looked at the state of the existing timber floors and they must be original dating back 90 years and are in a very poor state with gaps between boards, large sections cut out and replaced with chipboard. There are also small areas which need levelling.
When I enquired about laying timber floors over the existing ones, the rep said that they would need to level all areas and lay a plywood layer first BUT only if the new boards are to run parallel with the existing boards. Is this usual practice?
Also, I have read varying views as to whether a Silkwood type product can endure the same number of sandings as a solid timber floor. The hardwood top layer of Silkwood is 4mm. 
How often does the floor need resanding?
Silkwood also has a 25 year surface and structural warranty but most of the things I have read about floating floors seem to suggest replacement after a few years. 
I know 'you get what you pay for' but the solid timber is not that much more expensive than the Silkwood product so the latter cannot be all that bad?
Thanks.

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## peter_sm

I put Silkwood myself on our floors. 68m squared in 3 bedrooms, hall and loungeroom. We had the house restumped first. The Silkwood I laid across the way the original floorboards were running. I accept they are not ever going to be as solid as a new floor nailed direct to the joists.I am happy with the way they went down, and how they are after 4 years. Certainly look and feel better than cardboard floating flooring. What I did to make it look extra good was to remove all skirting and put new skirting boards after fitting the Silkwood. It really looks properly finished that way.

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## dazzler

I would pull up the old stuff, level off the joists and re-lay new tongue and groove.  I am no fan of the floating floors as a number of friends have had to relay them after getting them wet from rain or dishwasher.  At least it will look period and last another 90 years  :2thumbsup:

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## peter_sm

The advantage of Silkwood is that it is a 4mm timber veneer over laterally positioned  timer second and third layer. There is no MDF or printed surface. It is as water resistant as a solid timber floor. I do agree though, a genuine new solid timber floor is the proper way to do it.

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## Dusty

Just how bad is the existing flooring? Surely the odd bits and pieces of chity looking floor is fixable?
Have you had someone look at the current boards to asses whether or not they are worth doing? 
Keeping the original floor and having it sanded and finished is preferable to doing some sort of over-lay, as it keeps the house original and much more sympathetic to the era in which it was built. 
If you have some photo's of the floors we might be able to advise as to how possible it is to repair. Having the existing floor repaired and finished will be far less expensive than replacing it with over-lays, floaters and the like.

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## bunjiBing

Thanks all for your replies.  
I have attached some photos but since the carpet and furniture is still down I could only photograph corners of rooms. The front two rooms (only one photo) are the only two original rooms of the house and it seems that the floors are in the best condition. 
Towards the back where the previous owner created a new kitchen,laundry and bathroom it is a lot worse. The lounge and dining rooms have parts entirely laid with chipboard. Pieces of lino have been used between boards with large gaps as 'insulation'. 
If there are rooms which can be saved and refurbished, whereas others need new floors, how easy is it to match the timbers? At this stage, any replacement will be solid timber floors instead of the Silkwood.

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