Putting yellow tongue particle flooring over existing flooring

[buggy]

I'm about to start a house renovation. The existing floor appears to be tongue & groove pine boards. While it's in reasonably good condition there are squeaks all over the place and it's a bit rough in some spots. I could fix some of the squeaks by screwing the existing boards to the joists but it wouldn't fix all of them (some squeaks are between joists).

I had planned to replace the existing floor with yellow tongue particle board. Yesterday I was reading an alternate use, where the existing floor is structurally sound, is to put the yellow tongue on top of the existing floor and screw through it to the floor joists. Has anyone tried this? Would anyone recommend on way or the other (i.e removing the existing floor)? Why?

Our ceilings are 2.7m so we can loose a bit of height without any problems. I like the idea of putting the new floor in top of the old as it makes installation a lot easier.

[OBBob]

Hi Buggy

I guess it all depends how much effort you want to put in. In my experience I have found it easier in the long run to get right back the structure i.e. the joists in your case. I think it is easier to get a good finish. You might find you spend more time trying to get the new covering to sit nicely on the old floor and you have issues at doorways etc. when the floor is a lot thicker?

That said it certainly could be done.

One more concern would be that you could go to all that effort and still have squeeks or even create some more!

There are lots of ways to fix squeeks, even between joists ... seems a lot of effor to go to just to fix a squeek?

[buggy]

Thanks OBBob

If it was just a few loose boards I'd spend the time to fix them. The problem is I can't take more than two steps in any direction without finding a squeaky board. I've pretty much decided that the only reasonable solution (both cost and time) is the drastic option of replacing the existing floor.

Thanks, Rich.

[Larry McCully]

No problem with lining the existing floor with yellow toungue, you may even want to consider 15mm struct ply and screw it down at the joist line at 450 centers (Use batten screws at the joist line fixing )at the edge and internlly. This will tie the floor and provide a sound substrate for your new timber floor. Install the ply in a brick bond pattern.