QA

Question: How To Install Plywood Underlayment For Vinyl Flooring

Do you need to put plywood under vinyl flooring?

Vinyl flooring is usually not installed directly over the subfloor in residential applications. In most cases 4-by-8-foot sheets of particle board or plywood must be installed in preparation for the vinyl floor install. It needs to be built up to the same elevation of the other flooring types in the house.

Can you put vinyl flooring on plywood?

Can I install vinyl flooring over wood, plywood, particleboard or chipboard? You can install vinyl over wood floors if you put a plywood subfloor on top of it. Do not install glue down or peel and stick products over particleboard, chipboard or any form of embossed floor.

How thick should underlayment be for vinyl flooring?

How thick should underlayment be for vinyl flooring? In general, underlayment for vinyl plank flooring will be between 2mm to 3mm in thickness although some can be as much as 6mm thick and the thinnest around 1mm.

Do I need underlayment for vinyl sheet flooring?

Generally, you won’t need to underlay for vinyl sheet flooring, as you can simply glue down the sheets directly over most flooring surfaces, including concrete, linoleum, and old vinyl floors. You require to install an underlayment layer before installing your vinyl sheets.

Do you nail or screw underlayment?

Screws are preferred over nails for subfloor and underlayment installations as they provide strong and tight connections that help prevent the floor from squeaking. Before starting your next subfloor or underlayment installation, make sure you have the right subfloor screw gun for the job.

Do you staple down underlayment?

There is no fastening the underlayment to the subfloor. If your choose this route, staples are a good choice to fasten the underlayment. Staples usually have a coating which help increase the holding power. Using a crown compression stapler, staple 2 inches on the seams and edges with 4-6 inches apart in the middle.

What should I put under vinyl flooring?

The rule of thumb is any vinyl over 4mm can have a vinyl specific underlayment. With thinner vinyl flooring construction, adding a foam underlayment can effect the locking system strength. Vinyl floors under 4mm should be installed right over the subfloor.

Which way do you lay plywood subfloor?

Install plywood underlayment smooth side up. To avoid damage to the surface, install underlayment immediately before laying the finish flooring.

Do you tape underlayment to the floor?

Be sure not to overlap the pieces of the underlayment when you add consecutive rows. All you have to do is butt rows together and secure them with a sticky tape.

Can you use 2 layers of underlay under vinyl flooring?

Can you use two layers of underlay under laminate flooring? It is not recommended to use more than one layer of underlayment under laminate flooring as it can make the flooring too soft and unstable, and can cause the joints to dislodge, or its locking system to break.

Can you use plywood as flooring?

Plywood floors are suitable for any room where you’d otherwise install hardwood, though kitchens and bathrooms are less desirable since frequent water spills are likely. A 1½-in thick, 4-foot by 8-foot sheet of CDX plywood (the kind used in subflooring) sells for around $15.

What happens if you don’t put underlayment under vinyl plank flooring?

Vinyl planks require hard, thin underlay because the product itself is softer. Putting a soft product under vinyl plank will result in an unstable floor that is much more inclined to being damaged and even punctured or torn over time.

Does vinyl sheet flooring need to be glued down?

As the name states – glue down vinyl flooring does require glue. Every plank needs to be glued down to the subfloor. This glue down vinyl flooring installation is best for places where the subfloor may not be perfectly even.

Can you screw plywood underlayment?

Never use adhesive on the sub-floor to attach the plywood underlayment. Instead, fasten the plywood underlayment panels with staples, ring-shank nails or screws.

How far apart should screws be on underlayment?

Generally, nails (6d ring or screw shank, or 8d common) should be spaced 6 inches on center along supported panel edges and 12 inches on center on the panels’ interior supports, or as specified on the construction drawings. Many manufacturers print a fastener template directly on the panel face.

What kind of nails do you use for underlayment?

Ring-shank and spiral-shank nails are the best fasteners for this application because they are grooved to increase friction and resist withdrawal.

Should I glue plywood underlayment?

No, you should not glue down your underlayment. Underlayment is is a floating material, the same as your laminate flooring. In most cases, you should not glue or nail your underlayment down. You should always check with the installation instructions of the underlayment for proper installation instructions first.

How often should you staple underlayment?

When installed with staples, the underlayment sheets are fastened every 2 inches along the edges of the sheet and every 4 inches in the field area. Screws and nails may be spaced farther apart. Sheets can be butted together (just touching, not forced tightly together) or they can be gapped about 1/8 inch, or so.

Does it matter which way you lay underlay?

Which way do you lay underlay? When laying your underlay on floorboards, you should ensure that you position them in the opposite direction to the floorboards. Rubber underlay should be placed face down so that the backing is facing up and the coloured film is on the floor.

What do you put between subfloor and underlayment?

Use building paper! Yep, put down an underlayment of 15-pound felt building paper between a wood subfloor and your hardwood planks, and you can reduce the chance of squeaky floors and control moisture.

What is the difference between subfloor and underlayment?

The subfloor is the bottom most structure of the floor. It provides a flat and stable surface and supports the actual floor. Underlayment is different from the subfloor in that it rests between the subfloor and the actual floor.