Hardwood Floor Subfloor Prep

Preparing for hardwood floor installation will produce the best results possible.

Hardwood floor subfloor prep.

Make sure they re snug. Check clearance at the doorways. If you are nailing the hardwood floor in place choose cementitious leveling compound that you can nail through. Shim areas increase vertical height.

Before you install your plywood subfloor first calculate the room s square footage to find out how much flooring you ll need to buy. Learn how to prepare for hardwood floor installation. A subfloor is the bottom most structural level of your floor. Look beneath the surface the key to a beautiful long lasting hardwood or laminate floor is a well prepared subfloor.

If a floor plank and underlayment or adhesive will not fit under the door casing cut the casing with a backsaw about 1 16 inch above the level of the new flooring. You can have these pieces cut by a lumber yard or use a circular saw on the job site. The typical recommended thickness of the sub floor is. It supports your decorative floor finish whether it s carpet hardwood vinyl laminate or tile.

Do this by multiplying the room s length by its width. Decking screws work the best to keep both tight against one another. For more information download our pdf about types of subfloors. If the installers arrive at a house with an ideal subfloor the new wood flooring will go in smooth tight and flawless.

If you have any squeaky areas before the hardwood is installed take care of it before it s too late. Check the manufacturer recommendations and make sure that your sub floor meets all requirements for thickness and width. Use builder s felt or shingles stapled to the floor to fill small low spots if you. About the floor prep before i continue.

Preparation for installing floor tile depends on the type of subfloor in the room you are tiling. Remove all baseboards to create the appropriate gap at the floor edges for expansion as recommended by the manufacturer. Often plywood will loosen from the floor joists over time. Preparing for hardwood floor installation will produce the best results possible.

Wood sub floors should be screwed to the underlying floor joists at 6 inch intervals.