Best Plywood For Hardwood Subfloor

Another critical part of the subfloor inspection process is checking the moisture content mc of the subfloor and joists.

Best plywood for hardwood subfloor. Plywood subflooring is much like standard plywood but has special tongue and groove edges to help stiffen the floor and prevent squeaks. Do this by multiplying the room s length by its width. The thickness of plywood panels in a subfloor is regulated by the. Osb is similar to plywood but has a different construction.

A moisture meter should be your best friend on the job. Tongue and groove plywood is available to reduce squeaks and help the subfloor fit together better. The finished floor is then installed on top of the subfloor. Re secure any loose wood subfloor planks osb or plywood subfloors to the floor joists using 2 1 2 deck screws.

A subfloor is a wooden structural substrate to which durable finished flooring is attached. Enhanced plywood and subfloor products. Plywood is the best subfloor for hardwood flooring installation. The subfloor consists of sheet materials that are nailed or screwed to the joists to.

Different plywoods use various materials and methods of manufacture depending on the application for which they re intended. The key to a beautiful long lasting hardwood or laminate floor is a well prepared subfloor. Floating sub floors for solid hardwood installations generally consist of two layers of plywood or allowing enough wood for a 1 inch flooring cleat to hold effectively. Cdx plywood ranging from 1 2 to 3 4 inch thick and rated a c will serve well for any hardwood flooring installation.

Before you install your plywood subfloor first calculate the room s square footage to find out how much flooring you ll need to buy. Sub floor construction should have expansion areas of their own in the area of 1 8 1 4 between boards or sheets of ply. When a roofless partially built structure takes on water the plywood or osb used for floor decking can absorb water swell. In addition to the visible surface flooring material the carpet tile or hardwood there is usually an underlayment and beneath that is a subfloor that serves as the foundation and structural reinforcement for the floor.

Concrete slabs should be flat use a leveling compound to fill any depression or voids. The subfloor is the decking installed on top of flooring joists. A typical wood framed residential flooring system is more complicated than you think. The subfloor can be flattened by sanding down the high areas or by installing shims such as roofing shingles or various thicknesses of plywood.

Plywood is usually used as subfloor today.