Click below to read more on HGTVPro.
Your customer wants hardwood floors in a basement remodel or over a slab in an urban build-out. You know that for solid hardwood you must install (with loads of glue and a million powder-actuated nails — oh, joy!) a 3/4-inch subfloor to accept cleat nails or staples for solid sawn stock. You might be able to use a manufactured subfloor product in the basement, but that takes a big bite out of the budget; using it elsewhere isn’t practical, because it affects the transitions between rooms. And to top it all off, you don’t want to run a solid sawn hardwood floor over a basement slab because of possible humidity problems.
![author avatar]()
Related Posts
FixitUp Find: The Right Shovel
All shovels—even if we call anything with a handle and scoop that—are not created equal. And in our lives as home improvement contractors, we have…
18 May 2011
FixitUp Find: Worx Assault Reciprocating Saw
When I want old work down and done — framing, plaster, drywall, outbuildings, whatever — I reach for my recip to take them apart, usually…
01 Jul 2009
Bellaforte Roofing Tiles From DaVinci Roofscapes
We received a call from a homeowner near Philadelphia asking us about a new roof for his old home and he had both specific, and…
12 Apr 2011
FixitUp Find: Skil 14-Piece Spade Bit Set
Sometimes my favorite products are simple staples that help get the job done faster-better-easier. But as tools and materials change, those old stand-bys need to…
30 Sep 2009
Easy Lawn Care
Want a healthier, greener lawn without having to do any extra work? Of course, who doesn’t. One of the simplest tricks I know is to…
19 Jun 2011
Oil vs Water
Hello, Mark. I’m once again turning to you for some DIY advice and guidance. Looking to re-stain my deck. What are the key elements (product…
08 Feb 2011
Danbury Creek Wainscoting
There are rooms, and then there are rooms with raised panel wainscot. Both tell a story, but it is a different tale. Wainscot adds depth,…
19 May 2009
Schlage Programmable Electronic Locks
Here’s a product for the homeowner who has it all — or for a homeowner constantly on the go: electronic programmable locks. Schalge’s new series…
13 Aug 2009
FixitUp Find: Ridgid R2400 Trim Router
Trim routers are an emerging and quickly evolving category. Born from laminate trimmers (traditionally used just for that sub-trade), trim routers are more general-purpose tools…
04 Aug 2009
FixitUp Find: Hafele Flat-Screen TV Elevator
Precision makes me happy. But precision installations take serious skill, patience, and, more often than not, the right hardware to make them (in the words…
14 Aug 2009
Add Some Style to Your Tile
I love tile. Sure, my zeitgeist is wood, but tile tells a house’s story in a verse much different from its leafy cousin. It has…
23 Jan 2011
FixitUp Find: Dewalt DW718 Dual-Bevel Miter Saw
I’m gonna spill the beans (and mix metaphors) right out of the gate: DeWalt’s 12-inch dual bevel slide compound DW718 is the best miter saw…
22 May 2009
FixitUp Find: Hitachi WH18DL Impact Driver
Cordless impact drivers have been around for a long time, just not in the United States. They were a primary drilling and driving tool in…
12 Aug 2009
FixitUp Find: Stiletto Remodeler’s Hammer
Smash and Grab Even though we don’t use them the way they’ve been used for decades, even centuries, a hammer is still an integral and…
07 Sep 2009
FixitUp Find: Bora-Care
Bug out. Here’s a newsflash: termites not only do major damage if they go untreated, they’re disgusting. I’ve remodeled around termite damage and just seeing…
07 Jul 2009
