Height Allowances
When laying a solid wooden floor, you will need to think about its finished height in comparison to other floors in the property.
In a new build, height is less likely to be a restriction as you can generally control the sub-floor level. Whatever the height allowance required by the floor you choose (plus its fixings), you will just need to ensure that the sub-floor to which it will be fixed finishes this far below the finished floor level you want.
In an existing house however, the sub-floor level is usually set, so you need to consider the overall height increase in the room that will result from the new floor plus any fixings, and whether you would be happy with this.
You should also think about any potential difference between the finished level of the new floor and the levels of any adjoining floors. Different levels between rooms can be easily accommodated using thresholds (see Fig 1), but you need to be clear how steep they would be and make sure that you are comfortable with this. Bear in mind that you may also need to adjust existing doors if they open across a new floor that is higher than the old one - pay particular attention to external doors.
Where the floor is being fitted to existing chipboard / plywood, joists, or glued to concrete, you should not normally need to make any additional height allowance above the thickness of the floorboard.
Where the floor is to be fitted to concret using new batons you will need to allow for these too (See Batons).
If you need to minimise the height difference between a solid wooden floor and existing floor coverings, consider a solid overlay. These are thinner boards, normally around 14mm, which can be glued directly to level concrete or nailed to an existing wooden floor to minimise the height increase. |
