Hardwood Floor Subfloor Prep

Look beneath the surface the key to a beautiful long lasting hardwood or laminate floor is a well prepared subfloor.

Hardwood floor subfloor prep.

Preparing for hardwood floor installation will produce the best results possible. About the floor prep before i continue. A subfloor is the bottom most structural level of your floor. If the installers arrive at a house with an ideal subfloor the new wood flooring will go in smooth tight and flawless.

Often plywood will loosen from the floor joists over time. The typical recommended thickness of the sub floor is. Check the manufacturer recommendations and make sure that your sub floor meets all requirements for thickness and width. Learn how to prepare for hardwood floor installation.

You can have these pieces cut by a lumber yard or use a circular saw on the job site. Use builder s felt or shingles stapled to the floor to fill small low spots if you. Check clearance at the doorways. It supports your decorative floor finish whether it s carpet hardwood vinyl laminate or tile.

If you are nailing the hardwood floor in place choose cementitious leveling compound that you can nail through. If a floor plank and underlayment or adhesive will not fit under the door casing cut the casing with a backsaw about 1 16 inch above the level of the new flooring. For more information download our pdf about types of subfloors. If you have any squeaky areas before the hardwood is installed take care of it before it s too late.

Before you install your plywood subfloor first calculate the room s square footage to find out how much flooring you ll need to buy. Wood sub floors should be screwed to the underlying floor joists at 6 inch intervals. Preparing for hardwood floor installation will produce the best results possible. Make sure they re snug.

Measure carefully to ensure that the plywood is an appropriate fit. Preparation for installing floor tile depends on the type of subfloor in the room you are tiling. Here s a step by step guide to help you prepare a wood subfloor for luxury vinyl. Shim areas increase vertical height.

Do this by multiplying the room s length by its width.