Floorboads or wooden floor

[lisach]

I have a fairly small bedroom that currently had old carpet with underlay. Underneath that are some worn and damaged boards that I doubt of that much use. Many have damage and also squeak.

I want to lay a wooden floor in the bedroom, would I best get rid of the carpet and underlay and then replace with a new underlay and laminate floor or could I simply replace all the floorboards with new wood and varnish it?

I am worried that a laminate floor and underlay will raise the floor height too much so favour the new floorboard approach.

What type of wood would I best of using for new boards that will get steady but not heavy use?

The other advantage of new boards is that I can retain the skirting I think as that is laid on top of the current boards.

Thanks

L

 

[big-all]

afraid your skirting will have to come out to release the floorboards anyway
if you did get them all out without disturbing the skirting you would need to remove to fit the new floor any way

 

[noseall]

also, laying solid timber floor boards, that will ultimately be your decorative finish, requires a little more diligence than bumping down a subfloor.

you will certainly need to acclimatize the timber planks first. secret nailing is a must. hire a set of floor cramps when fitting. seal the timber as soon as you have sanded and filled, as to avoid any unwanted stains.

 

[WoodYouLike]

I am worried that a laminate floor and underlay will raise the floor height too much so favour the new floorboard approach.

Laminate 8mm, underlayment 3mm = 11mm tops. How thick is your existing carpet including underlayment?

 

[lisach]

Thanks all, so I think that approach won't work...

In B&Q I have seen some softwood T&G which look a little more rustic that laminate, is this a decent option? We have real wood floor downstairs but for a bedroom I don't want to spend so much.

Would the softwood floored with varnish be a workable alternative?