My Steps for Successful Prep Over a Wood Subfloor
- 1) Recording moisture levels ...
- 2) Making sure the substrate is up to code ...
- 3) Setting nails and screws as I go ...
- 4) Properly fastening any loose areas ...
- 5) Sanding seams and high spots flat ...
- 6) Address low spots, if necessary ...
- 7) Sweeping and vacuuming ...
- 8) Sealing or papering with appropriate vapor barrier protection ...
What is the best material for a subfloor?
What Is The Best Material For A Subfloor?
- Wood Plank. Wood planks were commonly used in older houses but have been replaced with plywood and OSB. ...
- Plywood. Plywood is by far the best material you can ever find in the industry. ...
- Oriented Strand Board (OSB) The OSB subfloors are installed in most new homes today and are the next best product for wood floors after plywood.
- Concrete Slabs. ...
How to level a subfloor for a hardwood floor install?
- Shimming the subfloor is a common method to flatten to required tolerance. ...
- 3-tab roofing shingles may range from 1/16”-3/8” in thickness, or more, depending on the quality/style. ...
- Sheet vinyl products such as linoleum may range up to 1/8” in thickness. ...
How to level a floor before putting down hardwood flooring?
Raise Low Spots
- Stir pre-mixed cementitious leveling compound with a trowel. ...
- Sand any rough edges of the leveling compound after it dries overnight, using medium-grit sandpaper.
- Vacuum away any dust.
- Wet-dry vacuum
- Hammer
- Screwdriver
- Long carpenter’s level or straight board
- Plastic sheeting
- Painter’s tape
- Dust mask
How to prep a subfloor?
- Use a polymer-modified thin-set – a type of mortar – to attach the backer board to the subfloor. ...
- Follow the directions on the packaging to properly mix the thin-set mortar. ...
- With a trowel, scoop out and spread enough mortar on the wood subfloor to cover an area slightly larger than your first piece of backer board.
Look Beneath the Surface
The key to a beautiful, long-lasting hardwood or laminate floor is a well-prepared subfloor.
Install Your New Floor
You’re almost ready to install your new floor. Remember: Flooring requires at least 72 hours to acclimate to your home’s temperature and humidity levels prior to installation. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for specifics on acclimation periods.
What is the best place to cut flooring?
Plus, it limits dust that can interfere with their own work. An ideal place for cutting flooring will have: Access to an outdoor, GFCI -protected, electrical outlet. A hard work surface, such as a concrete patio or garage floor. Protection from the elements; a garage, patio cover, or carport is ideal.
How to seal off a room that won't be sanded?
Do this not just by closing the doors but by covering the doorway with plastic sheets secured with painter's tape. Install plastic sheeting around the larger perimeter of the worksite. Keep the worksite itself clear so the workers have space to do their job.
How long does hardwood flooring last?
Hardwood flooring provides long-lasting beauty and durability to a home. Many hardwood floors last for decades with proper care. Yet installing hardwood flooring is a big project often best left in the hands of professional wood floor installers .
What is the hardest door molding to remove?
The case molding and stop moldings on doorways are more difficult to remove than the baseboards.
How to keep a door from scratching?
With the partner, slide the door off of the hinges. Place the door among the others, stacked in a different room, with each door separated by a blanket to prevent scratching. Keep the hinge pins collected together in a plastic bag.
Is dust a problem with wood flooring?
Dust is the number one problem for homeowners during wood flooring installation. Most wood floor installers will take basic preparations to contain the dust. But you may want to supplement their dust control efforts:
Do flooring installers work on subfloors?
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.
Preparing the Subfloor
Before you install, your subfloor must meet four requirements: clean, level, dry and structurally sound.
Acclimating New Flooring to the Room
Bring the flooring into the room so the wood planks can acclimate to the room’s temperature and humidity for up to 72 hours before installation (follow the manufacturer's instructions). Acclimating reduces problems associated with moisture, such as warping and fit.
Establish Installation Guidelines
For a concrete subfloor, you should install the plank with the sight lines of the floor. Typical sight lines run parallel to the longest wall, but each home is different.
Why is Subfloor Preparation Important for DIY Floor Installation?
With proper subfloor preparation, your new floors can avoid moisture damage along with unwanted sounds, sagging, and smells.
What is subfloor flooring?
The subfloor is the foundation surface which supports your flooring planks. It can be made of different materials, which sometimes determines the type of installation you’re able to perform. However, for all subfloors, the name of the game is clean, flat, and dry.
What is a Subfloor?
Just beneath the surface layer is the subfloor. In some cases, there is an underlayment between the surface and subfloor. The subfloor is the layer in which the surface flooring gets attached to if you’re using a glue-down or nail-down installation method.
What is the most common subfloor material?
Plywood. Plywood is the most common type of subfloor material in the typical home. It’s sturdy, moisture resistant, and can support any type of installation technique, whether glue-down, nail-down, or floating. Make sure your plywood subfloor is free of raised nail heads and staples.
How to know if subfloor is flat?
How to Know if Your Subfloor is Flat. To measure how level your flooring is, you’ll need a long level. After examining your floor you may find that you’ll need to level your subfloor. While you’re preparing your subfloor is a great time to acclimate your new flooring.
How long does it take for a concrete floor to dry?
Remember, if the concrete is fresh, you’ll need to allow at least 60 days for the concrete to set before you install your new floors.
How long does it take for a self leveler to cure?
You can level an uneven floor using cement or epoxy-based self-levelers. Always allow at least 24 hours for self-levelers to cure before installing new flooring.
Why is it important to ensure all subfloor requirements are met before installing hardwood floors?
Because so much is resting on the strength of your subfloor, it is critical that you ensure all the subfloor requirements are met before you install. Here are some factors to consider as you determine whether your subfloor is up to the task of protecting and supporting your new hardwood floors.
What is the subfloor of hardwood flooring?
The subfloor is what lies beneath the planks of solid or engineered hardwood flooring. It’s the foundation that provides a solid place for your hardwood to sit for years to come.
Can engineered hardwood be installed over concrete?
An engineered hardwood can be installed over a concrete, wood, tile and full adhered vinyl subfloors when installed as a floating or glue-down floor. Be sure to read the manufacturer requirements of your subfloor before you begin installation.
Can you install engineered hardwood over a concrete floor?
The first thing to consider is the type of installation. Stapling or nailing your flooring to the subfloor is the most common way to install solid hardwood. With engineered floors, you can also opt for glue-down or floating installations. Subfloors, such as vinyl, carpet, concrete, or ceramics cannot support a solid hardwood installation and should be removed before you install. An engineered hardwood can be installed over a concrete, wood, tile and full adhered vinyl subfloors when installed as a floating or glue-down floor.
Do you have to ventilate a bathroom to install flooring?
If you plan to install your flooring in a bathroom, kitchen, or mudroom, make sure you have enough ventilation to keep your sub floor just as dry as the top surface of your flooring.
Does the grade of flooring matter?
The grade of your flooring matters too. The flooring grade is based on the ground outside. For example, basements are almost always below grade, since they are below ground level.
Can engineered hardwood floors be installed below grade?
Instead, you should consider engineered hardwood floors if you want to install below grade. These floors look similar (if not identical) to hardwood floors, but they offer better protection in below-grade environments. If you’re installing your floors above grade, you must consider the strength of the structure where you’re doing the installation. ...
Prep your space
Before diving in too quickly, take time to prep your space for the hardwood floor installation. The more time you spend prepping, the less time you’ll spend on cleaning up and repairing damage. Trust us, preparation and surface protection are crucial during any home improvement-related construction or remodeling job.
Choose your install method and measure space
Once your space is prepped, take time to measure your flooring area to determine square footage and how much new flooring you’ll need. In addition, explore the different types of installation techniques, and choose one that suits your needs.
Remove current flooring, doors, baseboards, trim
If you are renovating a space, the next step is to remove the current old flooring, baseboards, trim, shoe molding and doors. This will ensure that the wood flooring planks can be installed as closely to the walls as possible, creating a seamless look.
Prepare the subfloor
Preparing the subfloor is a critical step, especially for the glue down or nail down methods. Sand down the surface to remove any materials. Vacuum up the remnants, and then dispose of them. If there are any squeaky spots, securely screw the subfloor into the floor joists.
Hardwood Floor Installation
Finally, it’s time to lay your hardwoods! This step will differ based on your hardwood floor installation method. When installing, it’s best to begin the first row with a long piece of hardwood. Align the board with the drywall, and secure into place. Installing the next row of boards will depend on which installation method you have chosen.
Keep your wood floors looking new
After you’ve invested in hardwood flooring and hardwood flooring installation, take care of your floors to increase their lifespan! Below are just a few tips to keep your hardwoods looking new.