How can I install solid wood flooring over linoleum or vinyl?
You can install solid strip floor over linoleum if it is securely glued and there is a recommended sub floor material underneath. First the homeowner or the contractor must decide whether to leave or remove the vinyl. If the vinyl is thin, or an older vinyl (more than 7-years-old) made with asbestos, it is less of an environmental risk to leave it in place. You can pull up non-asbestos vinyl and dispose of it. Contact the manufacturer to find out if your floor contains asbestos. Second, find out what is under the vinyl. If you have a recommended underlayment, with a thin vinyl on top, you can nail solid flooring right on the old vinyl. Unfortunately, many times vinyl is put on particle board or a composition underlayment that will not hold nails.
