Lay the plywood underlayment panels out perpendicular to the floor joist off setting the joist at least 12" from the subfloor joints. Use a polymer-modified thin-set – a type of mortar – to attach the backer board to the subfloor. to this site, and use it for non-commercial use subject to our terms of use. The choice of materials and the quality of workmanship can ensure that your plywood underlayment contributes to the professional look of your floor. I could get some purebond plywood but they only make it 3/4” which I believe will be too thick. Install Plywood Underlayment for Vinyl Flooring. Lauan products have been responsible for massive deforestation in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries. home improvement and repair website. It is usually a composite product such as OSB that is manufactured for its strength and engineered structural qualities. Part of the series: Flooring Installation & Maintenance. 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. Read, be informed, and extract maximum useful life from your plywood project. Try to create a random pattern with the nails so they will not appear in a regular pattern through the flooring. After your subfloor is nice and clean it is time for an inspection. Screws and nails may be spaced farther apart. Positioning SurePly® Premium Plywood Underlayment Do not use standard, uncoated fasteners because they are prone to rust, which can discolor some types of flooring. The underlayment must rest flat over the entire floor. Underlayment is a thinner material that lies over the subfloor. In some cases, the use of underlayment may be required to satisfy the product warranty. When choosing an underlayment, look for a product that has an APA stamp that specifically says "underlayment." Ensure that the subflooring is still free of debris and completely dry. But the fact is, a properly installed plywood subfloor provides a suitable installation surface for most flooring materials, including luxury vinyl planks (LVP), which are thicker than traditional vinyl tiles and can smooth over slight imperfections better. Use wood filler to repair any uneven areas. Remove debris from floor. Your floor is ready for a vinyl covering at this point. Is cdx less toxic than other plywood boards ? How to Install Underlayment for a Laminate Floor With Staples. Plywood Subfloor: If you’re installing over a plywood subfloor, you do not need a vapor barrier, but you may want to look for cushion and sound dampening. DoItYourself.com®, founded in 1995, is the leading independent Lay the panels out flat to cover the subflooring. If you’re using a plywood product, it should be … Install a cement-based backer board following the manufacturer’s instructions. The easiest and best fastening option is galvanized staples driven with an air-powered stapler (available for rent at home centers and rental outlets). Layout, fabricate and secure underlayment. Deane Biermeier is a contractor with 27 years experience in home repair, maintenance, and remodeling. Use ring shank nails so they will be less likely to back out of the wood after the flooring is laid. Replace any soft, decayed or delaminated areas of the subfloor. Today, a much better option is a plywood specifically designed as underlayment and made with sustainably forested wood. It can also be used under hardwood, laminate, and carpet, but this is much less common these days because subflooring is typically smooth enough for these materials, many of which are installed with a different type of underlayment or pad. The term plywood underlayment is not interchangeable with the term sub-floor. Examine the entire room and remove or set any nails that protrude from the material. I'm having my entire first floor done with solid wood on a concret slab. View our Privacy Policy here. You may freely link Plywood underlayment is a thin plywood material that is most commonly used under resilient flooring materials, such as vinyl and linoleum sheets and tiles. Lay the panels across the room alternating the ends so no joints extend continuously across the floor. The installation process starts with storing the underlayment panels in the room where they will be installed for at least 72 hours. ... Use an underlayment, floor leveler or floor patch product to … Instead, fasten the plywood underlayment panels with staples, ring-shank nails or screws. On multi-floor constructions, such as a two story house or condo, you may want to get an underlayment that absorbs the sound from above. Leave a 1/8-inch gap along the walls. Fasten the Panels. Plywood Underlayment Installation Instructions for Vinyl and Other Flooring (Halex Plywood Products) In order to prepare the Subfloor, you must first make sure the existing subfloor is totally dry, held in tightly and structurally sound, and smooth. In this blog post, we will discuss the proper specifications to follow when selecting the fasteners. Most wood floors can be lifted with a pry bar, and you can also use a utility knife to cut up carpeting. Install Cement Backerboard . Do not use any adhesive beneath SurePly® plywood underlayment. You can also use AC exterior-grade plywood, which has one smooth face and one rougher face. How to Install Plywood Underlayment Step 1: Prepare the Subfloor Copyright© All information is provided "AS IS." Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. Remove the existing flooring if the room has any. The appearance of a floor is determined by the quality of subflooring, and plywood underlayment is often the blessing or curse of an attractive room. Select the smooth side of the plywood to be facing up. Sweep the subflooring clean of all debris. Chandler, I am installing smooth 1/4" plywood underlayment rated for the vinyl flooring. I tried pulling some up as a test and this would be a nightmare to pull off. Inspect the subfloor for evenness along joints and flatness between joists. This helps them absorb any moisture or dry out to match the atmospheric conditions of the room. Place factory cut edges together and hand cut edges against wall. Terms of the Trade: What Is a Tongue and Groove Joint? How to Prepare a Vinyl or Linoleum Floor for Ceramic Tile, How to Choose the Best Underlayment for Laminate Flooring, 7 Sound Barriers That Dampen Noise Between Floors. Staples usually have a coating which help increase the holding power. Always use the fasteners and fastening pattern recommended by the vinyl floor and plywood manufacturer. After nailing the plywood underlayment secure, fill any rough spots with wood filler. Underlayment covers subfloor flaws for the best possible results. Underlayment Installation Labor, Basic Basic labor to install underlayment with favorable site conditions. Do not allow four corners to meet at the point. Wear safety glasses when nailing the plywood to protect your eyes from any debris. Screws and nails may be spaced farther apart. Measure both ends of the floor, perpendicular to the floor joists, and make a mark at 48 1/2 inches … To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. Cut them to lengths so that you can alternate the ends throughout the room. Install SurePly® plywood underlayment over a clean, dry, level, original sound structural subfloor, or existing floor. Use a chalk line to mark the panels for cutting, and wear a dust mask when cutting the plywood. 1995-2018 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. If your choose this route, staples are a good choice to fasten the underlayment. Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be There is no fastening the underlayment to the subfloor. Website operating It is a very … Sheets can be butted together (just touching, not forced tightly together) or they can be gapped about 1/8 inch, or so. Plywood underlayment is a layer of material installed underneath a finished floor. The sheets are lightweight and have perfectly uniform dimensions and edges. The experts show how to install the subfloor in a bathroom. Following a few suggestions, anyone can install plywood underlayment correctly. Plywood underlayment should be installed only on a dry subfloor. Installing underlayment in the vinyl areas supplies the elevation, smoothness and levelness necessary for the proper installation of vinyl floors. The underlayment sheets usually run the same direction as the plywood subflooring, but it is critical that the seams of the underlayment are offset from those in the subflooring, so the underlayment bridges over the subfloor joints. Common Applications for Basic Types of P... Common Applications for Basic Types of Plywood. Make sure the smooth side of the panel is facing the ceiling. Underlayment must fit flat against the subflooring with no moisture trapped beneath. Am planning on installing laminate over raised subfloor. On top of this underlayment goes a slip which protects the material from tearing as the metal roof expands and contracts with changing weather. While underlayment traditionally was glued down to wood subflooring, most manufacturers today recommend installing it without glue, which greatly simplifies the installation. A layer of felt would be added over the plywood underlayment if you plan hardwood floors. I am helping my sister install her 3/4” quartz countertop this week. Often, the terms "subfloor" and "underlayment" are used interchangeably. It typically comes in 4 x 8-foot sheets. When installing laminate, vinyl, tile or hardwood flooring, it’s important to know how to level a floor. Those who sell underlayment often claim that you need it under resilient flooring as well as carpet, tile, and hardwood—pretty much every type of flooring. You can cut sheets with a circular saw, jigsaw, table saw, or handsaw, just like any wood sheet material. Cover the Floor. Choosing the Proper Fasteners for Installing Plywood Underlayment. Poorly installed underlayment leaves obvious blemishes that show through vinyl, laminate, hardwood and other floor coverings. You will need a hammer and chisel if you're dealing with tile. However, during installation some installers like to fasten underlayment to the subfloor to prevent the underlayment from moving. It creates a uniform, smooth surface for resilient flooring, vinyl tile… Correction to this wood product problem can clean your wallet. Plywood underlayment is typically needed when a floor material must have a very smooth, flat surface. This acclimates the panels to minimize expansion/contraction issues after installation. Plywood underlayment is easy to install. If the subfloor is plywood or particle board, start by screwing down any loose boards or plywood sheets. One common underlayment for vinyl floors is 1/2-inch particle board. The Spruce uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Strictly speaking, the subfloor is the thick, structural layer that rests directly on the floor joists, the structural ribs of a floor frame. submitted to our "DoItYourself.com Community Forums". The sub-floor is the structural plywood that is used during construction. Inspect Your Sub-Floor. suggestions. Sweep the subflooring clean of all debris. problems contact webmaster@doityourself.com. How to Remove Particle Board Underlaymen... How to Remove Particle Board Underlayment. The next step is installing the plywood underlayment material. While underlayment may add a modest amount of stiffness to a floor assembly, it does not strengthen a floor or enhance it structurally. Most plywood underlayment is about 1/4 inch thick and has square edges and a smooth, knot-free top face. Some builders suggest adding an adhesive between the subflooring and the plywood, while others advise against it. Thorough fastening of the underlayment panels is key to a successful installation. Protect Your Laminate Flooring: Products To Avoid. Unless applied uniformly, the adhesive could keep the plywood from fitting flat. You can also fasten underlayment with galvanized or coated screws or nails. If they are gapped, usually the gaps must be filled with a seam filler. Other common types include cementboard or tile backer (used under ceramic or stone tile), foam underlayment (used under laminate and engineered wood "floating" floors), and rosin paper (used under solid hardwood flooring). There are also engineered subfloor panels designed for covering concrete slabs in basements. Tips and Products for Cleaning Hardwood Floors, Prefinished Bamboo Flooring: Pros and Cons, How to Use a Spline as a Hardwood Floor Transition Piece. Plywood underlayment is not a good choice for ceramic or stone tile because it is not water-resistant. Lay down the long sides of plywood underlayment sheets perpendicular to the joists for additional strength. Can You Install Vinyl Tile Over Wood or Other Flooring? To simplify your decision, consider plywood underlayment if it is recommended by the flooring manufacturer. Put each nail about 4 inches apart along the edges and 6 inches apart across the remainder of the plywood. For example, if you install resilient tiles or sheet flooring over a subfloor, any bumps, dips, or voids in the subfloor may be evident in the finished flooring. Measure the room and determine how many 4 X 8 foot panels of ¾ inch CDX plywood will be needed to cover the floor. I bought 5/8” Cdx for the counter to sit on. If plywood is not dealt with properly, it can swell and create major problems with roofing, flooring or siding. Includes planning, equipment and material acquisition, area preparation and protection, setup and cleanup. While fastening panels, sit on the panel you are securing to ensure full contact … If you plan to use laminate, you will need to use the recommended pad to cover the underlayment. These can serve as underlayment for some types of flooring, but they are not the same thing as conventional plywood underlayment. It's easy to find conflicting advice about underlayment, especially plywood underlayment. – Start by Choosing the Right Plywood Underlayment. Always install underlayment with the smoother face up. By using The Spruce, you accept our, The Subfloor Is the Foundation of a Good Flooring Installation, Plywood vs. OSB Subfloor Comparison Guide, Laminate Underlayment: What to Know Before Installation. Break the first tile, then continue chipping and scraping away the remaining flooring. Begin nailing each panel from one end and nail toward the opposite end keeping the plywood flat. This week, i am helping my sister install her 3/4 ” quartz countertop this week in. Plywood, which can discolor some Types of P... common Applications for Basic of... Extra blocking and re-fasten the subfloor is nice and clean it is recommended by the vinyl.... 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About the suitability of an underlayment material, contact the flooring manufacturer any adhesive beneath SurePly® plywood underlayment should perpendicular. Lay down the long sides of plywood underlayment if you plan hardwood..