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A Padded Room And White Coats

By
Home Inspector with Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC 3380-000723

The first step when installing hardwood flooring is to remove the carpeting.  Imagine my surprise when I found this underneath!  It looks like some kind of padding.  Come to think of it, that carpeting did feel kind of soft.  This stuff is really, really spongy!                                                                            

So I had a couple of ideas.

The problem with hardwood flooring is that it is so, well, HARD.  There's just no give to it.

Maybe it could be softened a little bit, like that carpeting was!  If the new floor had a little bounce to it, I think, it would be so much more comfortable.  And that pesky, um,  hardness would just disappear!

And who wouldn't like a little bounce in their step?

Look at it!  This stuff is already stapled down and ready to go!

What a nice surprise it would be for my wife to come home to hardwoods that weren't so hard!  What do you think?  That leaves me with some decisions to make. 

How about a little poll?

Should I:

1.  Go for it?

2.  Lay the flooring vertically?

3.  Lay the flooring horizontally?

4.  Surprise me...

You might be asking, "Jay, are you serious?"  Or, "Jay, vertical or horizontal to what?"  And good questions those would be!  Well, stop thinking and start feeling!  Just let the vibes flow...

How about YOU surprise ME...

Oh look, a truck just showed up and there are two very large men in white coats outside!  Just a minute, I have to get the door. 

Don't go anywhere.  I'll be right back.

 

Posted by

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC  

Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia.

Office (703) 330-6388   Cell (703) 585-7560

www.jaymarinspect.com


Comments(18)

Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Mmmmm.  Soft hardwood.  Interesting concept.  Actually, compared to concrete, terrazzo, marble or ceramic tile, hardwood flooring is quite "soft". 

A hardwood floor installed over a less than rigid sub-flooring or foundation will guarantee a few things.

Wear and tear on the hardwood stock.  Floors should not be springy.  They should be rigid and stable. 

Even carpet over soft pads wear more quickly.  "Springiness" guarantees one thing, a breakdown of the backing and faster wear and tear on the carpet. 

It's a floor, not a trampoline. 

Jun 19, 2009 10:20 PM
Fernando Herboso - Associate Broker MD, & VA
Maxus Realty Group of Samson Properties - Clarksburg, MD
301-246-0001 Serving Maryland, DC and Northern VA

if you want a softer floor. .stick to carpet!

Jun 19, 2009 10:41 PM
Sally K. & David L. Hanson
EXP Realty 414-525-0563 - Brookfield, WI
WI Real Estate Agents - Luxury - Divorce

And maybe not sooo fast, hmmm ?  The padding is not as colorful as most....and why not under hardwood...give the buyers a choice...medium hard...not soo hard...soft... blog on buddy...

Jun 19, 2009 10:44 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Lenn - Yes!  I like your thinking.  I am in Herndon, Warrenton and Gainesville today for inspections.  What time would you be available!!

Fernando - so you would go without the padding?

S&D - my thinking exactly.  I thought a soft hard floor would be a surprise...  maybe the living room could be soft and the dining room slightly less soft so the glasses on the table wouldn't shake so much.  Thoughts?

Jun 19, 2009 10:50 PM
Karen Anne Stone
New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Real Estate

Jay:  It sounds to me like those guys in the white coats have been looking for you for quite a while.  If I were you... I would NOT advertise where you were going to be.  It will make it much easier for them to find you and take you away.  Please be careful... LOL.

Jun 19, 2009 10:54 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Karen - I hear something like that nearly every day!  Actually the white coat fellows are quite nice every time they show up.  They're very strong though...

Jun 19, 2009 11:01 PM
Mary Strang
Viroqua, WI

I would bet if you put the hardwood over the old carpet and padding, you might have a future problem with the flooring when it starts to buckle, bulge, crack, and squeak. I think not.

Jun 19, 2009 11:56 PM
Michael Setunsky
Woodbridge, VA
Your Commercial Real Estate Link to Northern VA

Jay, pull the pad up. It would be more trouble than it is worth. The guys in white coats should be able to give you a hand.

Jun 20, 2009 12:57 AM
Sara Goss
HatmakerGroup.com GMAC Real Estate - League City, TX
Realtor - Houston Bay Area, Texas

How 'bout you install the hardwood wrong side up and in fifteen years or when there's noticeable damage pull it up and install right side up. Will last much longer that way, right?

Jun 20, 2009 01:04 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Mary - bummer!  I alread pulled up the carpet and set it out at the street.  Those guys in the big truck took it along with a lot of our other junk.  You DO have a great thought though!

Michael - I hope so.  They seem real eager to get in...

Sara - Not THAT is thinking outside the box!  And to think I can get more wear!

Jun 20, 2009 01:35 PM
Dana Bostick
True Professionals, Inc. - North Hollywood, CA

I once did an inspection on a place where they did just this.  The had installed thin Pergo type flooring over the carpet.  It felt very weird.  Might get away with it with full-on plank style hard wood.  They actually do install a thing foam pad under some hardwoods for sound deadening.

Jun 20, 2009 03:04 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Dana - actually I have seen that too!  The Pergo is supposed to "float" a little bit, but not carpet depth!

Jun 20, 2009 09:39 PM
James Quarello
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC - Wallingford, CT
Connecticut Home Inspector

I say horizontal over the padding. Hey who are those large men that just pulled up in my driveway? Gotta go......

Jun 22, 2009 12:37 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

James - hopefully they were as nice as the guys at my house!

Jun 22, 2009 12:29 PM
Charles Buell
Charles Buell Inspections Inc. - Seattle, WA
Seattle Home Inspector

Jay---I say negative----unless it is wide planks (like pergo).  Remember that garbage is edge glued as well and the padding isn't very thick.  (hope I am not too late with my vote:)

Jun 22, 2009 12:56 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Charlie - negative what?  Horizontal, vertical or soft hardwood?

Never too late to stop by and vote!

Jun 22, 2009 01:51 PM
Steve Hall
RE/MAX United - San Marcos, CA
Make the Call to Hankins and Hall

1) Paint the padding to look like wood.

2) Add padding to all of the walls so the guys in the white coast will think you have already been detained.

Jun 23, 2009 07:11 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Steve - now THAT'S thinking outside the box!  I like it!

Jun 23, 2009 12:49 PM