Home Improvement

Additionally, which wood flooring best stands up to pets and heavy traffic? Send your home improvement questions to (email protected).

By Mark Philben, The Boston Globe

October 30, 2024 | 11:40 a.m.

Q. When should you replace your roof? Mine is about 25 years old but shows no visible signs of wear. I replaced both diapers last time.

MC

A. MC, that’s a tough question. We have seen many roofs last longer than this and hold up very well. Roofs often collapse at margins, flashing details, and roof penetrations for vents, etc. Rarely will the shingles themselves simply begin to collapse and allow water to enter. For this reason, if you are concerned, find a professional roofing company and have them put a ladder on the house for a quick check. Flashing and penetration issues are hard to see from the ground, so it’s best to get someone up there who knows what to look for. Twenty-five years ago, some companies made shingles with 30- to 40-year warranties; the products were already good at that time. It looks like you have a quality shingle up there since you don’t see any visible signs of failure. But at 25, it’s time to take stock.

Q. We live in a 1964 colonial center entry. We need to replace all the wood floors on the first level; they can’t handle another finish. The number of flooring options available is overwhelming. We have two dogs and a very busy house. We’re not opposed to installing faux wood flooring, but it always seems noisier than hardwood. What would you recommend?

CS

A. I’m sorry you have to replace your parquet floorsCS Wood floors are still our first choice, but we have installed newer laminate or prefinished floors. There are pros and cons to both cases.

Laminate flooring is incredibly durable and stands up to a lot of abuse. They clean well and retain their color. The biggest drawback is that most are not ¾ inch thick, which can cause problems with doors and baseboards when a floor of this size is removed. You also typically need to add a “base shoe” or small piece of trim along all edges, as laminates need to be installed with a quarter-inch gap.

Another option is three-quarter-inch prefinished hardwood flooring. This flooring has a superior finish to field-installed hardwood floors. They have a much more durable machine-applied finish that cannot be replicated in the field. This will better withstand foot traffic and pets. It will also fit in better where the existing flooring has been removed. A disadvantage could be if the ground is uneven due to the house settling over the years. Prefinished floors cannot be sanded to eliminate floor curves. This could create visible and uneven seams.

With these issues in mind, I believe that high-quality wood laminate flooring will give you the best of both worlds. The ones we have installed have a padded underlay on each piece, so when the flooring is installed it helps to dampen the sound and make it feel a little softer underfoot.

Mark Philben is the Project Development Manager at Charlie Allen Renovations in Cambridge. Send your questions to (email protected). Questions are subject to change.