How am I going to clean under the fridge if I can't roll it out? This is almost too much for me to deal with,but it has to be done as the current inlaid is 40 years old and all cracked up. Part of the sub floor is just plywood and the rest is regular floor boards with masonite over it. There are places where the floor meets the newer part that are uneven. The allure bends but what about the laun board. Thanks again all help appreciated as this is a big deal for me.

I'm sorry, that's not what I meant about dragging the fridge. I had visions of a past experience when me moved and my husband & brother literally dragged the corner of the fridge on a newly laid vinyl floor and made a nice triangular rip in the floor. This wasn't just sliding/rolling it to clean, this was while the fridge was on moving dollies which was why a bottom corner happened to come in contact with flooring. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to alarm you, and no matter what you choose, you should be able to move your fridge to clean underneath. :~)

It sounds like you really need a new subfloor and maybe even level out your floor some. Do you plan on taking up the old flooring or leaving it? Just asking because it might help level things out if you take up what's there.

Seriously, if those tiles contain asbestos you're going to have to cover them or remove completely. I'm not trying to alarm you, but it is a very, very serious health concern. If it's all cracked up, you really should have it removed. I know this is a lot to deal with, but asbestos is so bad, that's why it was banned back in 1972. If the tiles are intact then there's very little risk, but when they crack or crumble, that's when the particles can become airborn and can be breathed in to the lungs.

Is your floor strong, that is the joists seem to be supporting everything ok? If not, you're going to need to check out those joists and make repairs if needed. I don't know if the original flooring is hardwood or plywood, but you need to make sure it's sturdy too.

It's almost sounding like it all needs to come up, lay down fresh plywood and go from there. I sure hope that's not the case. It's a lot of work no matter which way you go, but sometimes it's faster and winds up being less costly than tring to repair and level the existing floor.

About the Allure..... I'm not sure if your table and chairs would create a problem given that each leg is much wider than a spiked heel. Remember - that's a lot of pounds per square inch that a spiked heel is supporting! Pads on the bottom of the legs would help tremendously. I doubt the cabinet would have much effect unless it's also on legs, in which case see comment about pads on the bottom of the legs.

The floor was leveled 3 years ago as best as it could be. the floor joists are ok. I Thought laying luan board would cover the old inlaid. Is that ok? We're talking about a house that is 100 years and has been built on to. The old cabinet is very old and has legs with little metal things on the bottom.

For the person fearing the damage that can be caused by dragging your appliances over your new flooring look into "appliance glides". They attach to the floor under appliances, and then like a toy train set, you can extend the tracks for the appliance to slide out onto to keep the floor safe.

My floor installer talked me into them for my appliances, saying his wife loved them; I'm only moderately pleased with them, but they do protect the floor -- when I can get them connected.

"The floor was leveled 3 years ago as best as it could be. the floor joists are ok."

Great, and thanks for clarifying, makes things so much easier! The luan board will work. As far as the metal 'things' on the old cupboard...... all you can do is try and see. It might be a good idea to put something under them - even an area rug. Since I don't know what your metal things are, or an approximate size, I'd still say to err on the side of caution and put something at least under each leg if you're fearful that they'll mar the new flooring.

Best of luck and I'm sure you'll love your new floor!

This a correction to the first question I sent in.

What is the correct width size for hardwood floors for the kitchen?

Would red oak be appropriate?

What do you recommend for cleaning hardwood floors?

Best regards, Anthony Jospeh Lucchese

Anthony, you can see my reply to your other question posted at Wood Floors in the Kitchen. I addressed red oak and dimension in my response.

The best way to clean hardwood floors seems to be under debate. Manufacturers of course think their products are the best and the other products are bad. I've had good luck with Murpyh's Oil Soap and Bona Hardwood Cleaner, but I've also done very well with a 10:1 or 15:1 water:vinegar solution. The vinegar water is the cheapest and most environmentally friendly approach you can take.

The biggest steps to pay attention to that many people overlook are to rinse your mop (and I love the micorfiber mops),change the water frequently, and buff the floor when you are done.

Good luck with your new kitchen floor. Let me know what you did and how you like it.

Hi! I am a new Inquirer on kitchen floor. I hope you can help me. I live on Guam, it is a very humid tropical island. Our house is concrete, we still have the original terrazo kitchen floor of 1974. It was very lovely but it has several large cracks from earth quakes. We want to renovate our kitchen, dining and gathering rooms. We want to use bamboo flooring in the other two rooms but we want a good quality kitchen floor that will match or blend with the bamboo adjacent dining floor. What will you recomend? Thank you

Hi Carmen,

What kind of material are you thinking about for these floors? Ceramic tile, wood, stone........? There's lots of choices available to you, you just have to look to find something that will be the correct color. It's best to shop "in person" due to the color variance in computer monitors, though the internet can be a good place to start. When shopping in person, be sure to take a small spare piece of your flooring with you (or get a sample from the manufacturer) so that you can compare the colors. I'm confident that you will have no trouble finding another flooring material to compliment your bamboo floor.