To our dismay when we ripped up the old carpet we found that the whole subfloor was covered with particle board.
Chipboard subfloor hardwood.
Most people use nails or hardwood staples to attach hardwood flooring to the subfloor but this is only an option if the subfloor is made of plywood.
Engineered wood flooring can also be glued directly onto the chipboard using a flexible flooring adhesive if required.
The hardwood flooring must be installed crossing the subfloor boards 90 degree angle.
Laying plywood over particleboard.
The screws or nails could break the chipboard and the hardwood flooring would not have a secure material to hold on to.
If your home has particleboard subfloors instead of plywood subfloors you may want the added durability plywood has to offer.
Secret screwing or secret nailing should not be used with a chipboard subfloor.
Using a standard nail gun to install the floor was out of the question particle board isn t structurally sound enough to bite nails.
How to install wood flooring over particle board.
Last year we installed solid oak hardwood floor in our main bedroom and family room.
Engineered solid wood or floating wood flooring that are less than 1 2 thick can be installed over a wood plank subfloor as long as the 3 4 plank subfloor is flat.
First lets understand how each one is manufactured.