I'm considering switching from my brick floors to wood in my southwestern home. The bricks look okay, but they're really tough to keep clean, uncomfortable to stand on, and anything that drops just breaks. I've had a quote from a flooring guy who confidently said he could just lay the wood over the bricks with minimal prep—just changing the baseboards and adjusting for slight elevation changes around the sliding glass doors. However, this makes me nervous. What's the best and most affordable way to go about this? Plus, since some plumbing is underneath the bricks, are there ways to make that more accessible in the future? Should I consider replacing the plumbing now while I'm at it?
2 Answers
Honestly, I wouldn't recommend laying wood directly over the bricks. If they're already uneven, they'll only cause more issues down the line, potentially damaging the new flooring. The safest bet would be to remove the bricks first and start fresh from there.
I've seen people successfully lay wood over uneven brick, but it does come with risks. If the bricks shift, they could ruin your flooring. I'd suggest leveling them if you can. Also, access to plumbing is super vital, so maybe think about that first!
What about putting down a plywood subfloor instead? That seems cheaper than removing all the bricks and still gives you a solid foundation for the wood floors.