laying wooden floor over floorboards?

[fishandchips100]

This is probably a very obvious basic question but I'm not that knowledgable. I assume it is possible to lay some kind of wooden/laminate type flooring over floorboards, but, how do you then get to the floorboards after it's laid to access pipework etc?

We are debating whether to have carpet or wooden floor in our lounge but are unsure as to practicalities of wooden floor given all the heating etc piping is under the floorboards. Maybe there's a specific type of wooden floor that is best to use in this case? Or maybe it's just better sticking with carpet? We don't want to have our existing floorboards as a floor btw - very draughty and don't look that good.

Thanks all.

 

[Alastairreid]

I left an access hatch in the cupboard under the stairs, That will only work if your solum has the depth to get under the floor.

Otherwise you would have to lift your floor.

 

[fishandchips100]

no it doesn't so a hatch would be a no go. I assume lifting the floor to access pipes is a big/time consuming thing to do?

 

[Alastairreid]

no it doesn't so a hatch would be a no go. I assume lifting the floor to access pipes is a big/time consuming thing to do?

There is no easy solution. it can be highly disruptive and expensive.

 

[WoodYouLike]

How often have you had to lift the carpet to access the pipes in the past?

Another option would be to replace your existing floor boards with load-bearing T&G wood-engineered boards.

 

[fishandchips100]

good idea woodyoulike but half the floorboards have just been replaced due to rot - I'm not paying to re-replace them!

 

[WoodYouLike]

How was I to know?

Leaves the question: how often do you need access to the pipes? Have you ever?

 

[fishandchips100]

erm, we only moved here in jan so have no idea how often we'll have to access pipes We did have to get to them already to put an extra rad in the room. Do people ever need to get to these things then?

 

[WoodYouLike]

Lived 8 years is a house with existing floorboards underneath new wooden floor, never had to get down to the pipes.
(And besides that, in the event you have a leak there, the insurance no doubt picks up the bill)