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Subfloor: This is the structurally sound layer, which is the foundation beneath the flooring material. Underlayment: This component is used in some flooring systems as a smooth flat surface for the subfloor. It consists of a thin layer of plywood, cement fiberboard or cement board.
What is the purpose of subflooring?
A subfloor is a structure attached to your floor joists which provides support for your finish (surface) flooring. Used alone, most finish flooring materials are not strong enough for the dead weight of furniture, cabinetry, appliances and other household objects plus the live weight of people and pets.
What is a subfloor in a house?
The subfloor is the bottom most structure of the floor. It provides a flat and stable surface and supports the actual floor. Underlayments help to provide extra support to the actual floor. While there are different types of subfloors, the most common type is made from plywood.
What are the different types of subfloor?
There are four primary materials used as subfloor: plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), concrete, and high-performance panels. There are other subfloors materials out there, but they are used in more niche situations. The construction industry is constantly evolving.
What does subfloor in construction mean?
Definition of subfloor : a rough floor laid as a base for a finished floor.
Do you need a subfloor over concrete?
If you don’t plan to use the space, there is no need for a subfloor or floor covering. Concrete or tile-over-concrete are acceptable floors for uninhabited basements. But to install any kind of floor covering—engineered wood, laminate, carpeting—basement subflooring is highly required.
Does subfloor go under walls?
Wall and Floor Basics Joist: A joist is a long, horizontal piece of wood, usually 2×8 or 2×10 inches, that holds up the flooring. Subfloor: The subfloor is nailed to the top of the joist. Bottom Wall Plate: The bottom wall plate is the bottom-most part of the wall. It is usually an 8-foot-long, 2×4 piece.
Is subfloor considered structural?
Typically made of plywood or OSB and ranging in thickness from 19/32″ to 1 1/8″ thick, the subfloor is truly structural, second only to joists in this respect. Subfloor holds up all of the above layers of flooring, as well as everything in your house, including people, dogs, cats, pianos, furniture.
Is a subfloor necessary?
Everybody needs normal subflooring at the very least since finished flooring is not designed to be attached to joists and wouldn’t be strong enough to hold the people walking on it by itself. Traditional hardwood flooring will require an additional subfloor on top of the concrete in order to be installed correctly.
What is subfloor called?
Typically, a subfloor is made of plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) panels. In areas that are below grade, such as a basement, the concrete foundation is often considered the subfloor, though plywood and OSB panels can be installed over concrete using ground-level floor joists called sleepers.
What is underneath a subfloor?
Underlayment The underlayment material is installed below the floor covering and placed on top of a sub-floor. Under the visible covering, there is a layer made of soft or foam-like materials with a thickness of between 1/4- or 1/2-inch.
What material is best for subfloor?
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.
How thick is typical subfloor?
Thicknesses for products used for subfloors are generally 23/32 inch (just under 3/4 inch), but thicker sheets are available where building codes call for them.
Do I need 2 layers of subfloor?
Almost no one puts down double-thick subfloor in residential applications (for cost and handling reasons), and both layers need to be fastened to joists. Only thin underlayment can be fastened just to the subfloor.
Can you waterproof subfloor?
Waterproof plywood for bathrooms is moisture-resistant and can be used for subfloors. To waterproof the plywood yourself, first repair it if needed and then sand it down and clean it off. Use a waterproof sealant, stain or paint and apply two to three layers.
Do you need tongue and groove for subfloor?
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.
How much does it cost to have subfloor installed?
The national average materials cost to install a subfloor is $3.05 per square foot, with a range between $2.85 to $3.25. The total price for labor and materials per square foot is $12.20, coming in between $8.27 to $16.12. A typical 300 square foot project costs $3,659.05, with a range of $2,481.75 to $4,836.34.
What are the requirements for subflooring?
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.
Why is subfloor needed in basement?
First, any good basement subfloor adds insulation so your feet stay warmer in winter. Second, good subfloors provide protection of the finished flooring from lwater or water vapor moving up through the concrete, discouraging rot and mold forming underneath.
Can I put a wood subfloor over concrete?
You need a dry, clean and flat surface before you can install finished flooring in a room built on a concrete slab. One of the simplest options is a sleeper-based subfloor. The result is a subfloor that protects finished flooring from cold and damp concrete-based floors.
Should drywall touch the subfloor?
Drywall should never touch the floor. Allow for a 1/2-inch (1.27 cm) space between your new wall and your old flooring, so there is room for expansion of both materials without cracking the drywall.
Does subfloor go under drywall?
In standard home construction, the contractor installs the subfloor before installing the drywall. In fact, the subfloor is one of the first features of construction, whereas drywall installation takes place toward the end of the project.
Is it hard to replace a subfloor?
It’s significantly more difficult than the original install. However, with the right tools and personnel it’s about midway on the carpentry skills. If the subfloor has been glued to the joists then that increases the difficulty level tremendously.
