Prepare Subfloor For Wood Flooring

Preparing a concrete subfloor for luxury vinyl flooring concrete is a common subfloor material and in general it s easy to prepare for a luxury vinyl flooring installation project.
Prepare subfloor for wood flooring. The foundation must be solid. Whether you have a plywood subfloor or a concrete subfloor there are a few steps that are universal in preparing the subfloor. Get the facts on how to make things perfect. Flooring installation is all about preparation.
Without do so chances are pretty good you may begin to hear strange sounds as the new floor is not comfortable with the sub floor. The key to a beautiful long lasting hardwood or laminate floor is a well prepared subfloor. Floor prep wood sub floors. The most important step in this process is checking for any damages.
There are three main areas of concern. Level within 3 16 inch for every 10 feet grout lines must be filled in if using tile as a subfloor. Radiant heat beneath wood flooring involves tubing in concrete or tubing under plywood subfloors. The most important factor in a successful wood flooring installation over radiant heat is a dry slab and a dry subfloor.
Before you install your plywood subfloor first calculate the room s square footage to find out how much flooring you ll need to buy. A subfloor is the bottom most structural level of your floor. The only sure way to dry a slab and subfloor system is to turn on the radiant heating system before installing the wood flooring. Preparation of the sub floor is crucial to successful installation.
It supports your decorative floor finish whether it s carpet hardwood vinyl laminate or tile. If moisture levels are not within the wood flooring manufacturer s recommendations you ll need to reduce the moisture and humidity in the area. Prepare the subfloor most flooring installers spend little or no time working on the subfloor unless this was discussed beforehand and negotiated as part of the price of installation. If you have a subfloor that consists of wood on top of concrete you ll need to test both floors.
For more information download our pdf about types of subfloors. Justdoityourself lovingit perfecteverytime subscribe now an. Do this by multiplying the room s length by its width. Structural integrity a clean flat and even surface and moisture content.
If your concrete subfloor was just poured you ll need to allow it to properly cure for a minimum of 60 days before your luxury vinyl flooring installation begins. Your subfloor must be. If you haven t learned by now surfing through the site one key to successful wood floors is floor preparation. Preparation for installing floor tile depends on the type of subfloor in the room you are tiling.