Table of Contents
Do you glue down sub floor?
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.
Which way do you lay a subfloor?
Flooring experts recommend installing flooring boards perpendicular to the floor joists in a house with a plywood subfloor.
Does subfloor need to be tongue and groove?
For subflooring, you use tongue and groove plywood. The tongue and groove are only along the 8 foot edges. On the four foot edges, your seams will fall on joist tops, so no need for tongue and groove.
What thickness should a subfloor be?
The minimum thickness of plywood for subflooring is about 5/8 inch. Since it does not hold fasteners as well as plywood, OSB must be a little thicker, or at least 23/32 inch. There are several factors that determine what subfloor thickness is optimal for added benefits like insulation.
Should I screw or nail subfloor?
Using code-approved screws rather than nails is the best option for avoiding movement. If using nails for subfloor installation, stick with ring-shank nails; smooth nails may withdraw easier, leading to squeaks.
How do you secure a subfloor to joists?
A thicker subfloor takes a 3-inch screw. Use a heavy-duty drill to drive Phillips head wood screws through the subfloor into the floor joists. Drive the screws approximately 8 inches apart. To make the job easier for you and the drill, we suggest that you pre-drill holes before screwing the subfloor down.
What goes on top of subfloor?
Underlayment: Some types of flooring can be installed directly on top of the subfloor, such as vinyl flooring. Other types need a middle layer, called underlayment, such as laminate,carpet and tile.
How often do you screw subfloor?
install tile unless it is screwed every 6-8″.
Should I stagger my subfloor?
Staggering a Subfloor Stability is more important than aesthetics when laying a subfloor, so it isn’t important to make the pattern random. This technique will produce a regular H pattern, which is undesirable for finished flooring but fine for a subfloor.
Should I glue subfloor to joists?
The answer: Glue. Although using a subfloor adhesive (or subfloor glue) is not required by code, it is a standard practice that can help prevent floor squeaks by reducing the chance for movement at the panel-to-joist connection. A quality subfloor adhesive will also increase the overall stiffness of the floor.
Is it better to use OSB or plywood for subfloor?
The National Tile Contractors Association and the Resilient Floor Covering Institute both recommend plywood for subflooring and underlayment, because it doesn’t have the risk of swollen edges that OSB does. Plywood also has a slight advantage in stiffness, which means that subflooring panels need not be quite as thick.
What do you use for sub flooring?
Plywood is considered the most popular material used for subflooring, it has been used since the 1950s and remains one of the top choices for contractors. Standard plywood works perfectly fine as a subflooring material, but the best option is ¾” tongue-and-groove plywood subflooring.
What plywood should I use for subfloor?
The recommended thickness of the plywood subfloor is governed by the spacing of the joists. Some experts suggest that 15/32-inch plywood should be standard if the underlying floor joists are spaced 16 inches apart or less, but slightly thicker 3/4-inch plywood should be used for joists spaced further apart.
What type of plywood is best for subfloor?
Cheap and strong makes CDX plywood great for use as a structural panel such as a subfloor. Remember the letter grade of plywood only has to do with cosmetics and not strength. CDX plywood is just as strong as higher grades. CDX is a type of plywood that grades C, D or X.
How many layers of plywood do you need for a subfloor?
The first is to lay two layers of 3/8-inch plywood over the slab without fastening or gluing them to the slab. One layer is laid, and the second layer is stapled or glued perpendicularly or diagonally over the top.
Can I use framing nails for subfloor?
Combining the versatility of a nail with the hold strength of a screw, they can be used with most framing nailers – meaning these subfloor fasteners can be driven much faster than screws.
How far apart do you nail underlayment?
FASTEN THE UNDERLAYMENT Using each panel’s printed nail pattern as a guide, nail or staple at 2-inch intervals along the edge of each panel at 4-inch intervals throughout the panel interior. Before fastening, place your full body weight on the panel being installed. All fasteners must be slightly countersunk.
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.
Do you install subfloor before framing?
If you use a product like DriCore for the subfloor, they even explicitly recommend you frame on top of their subfloor product. They do, however, recommend you screw the framing through the subfloor into the concrete with something like 3″ Tapcons spaced every 4 ft through the bottom sill of the framing.
Can I put plywood over subfloor?
Plywood is made up of several layers of wood veneer glued together with adjacent layers that form a composite substance. Mobile home subfloor thickness may be of some concern, and installing plywood over this subfloor can give you a stronger base for your hardwood, laminate or carpeting.
