What is the best material to use for a subfloor?
Types of Subfloor Materials in Construction Projects
- Wood Plank Subflooring. Wood planks were the traditional subflooring material used in homes built up to the mid-twentieth century.
- Plywood Subflooring. Plywood has been a standard subfloor material since the 1950s and remains the preferred subflooring for many builders.
- OSB Subflooring. ...
- Concrete Subflooring. ...
What is the best plywood to use for subfloor?
What Type of Plywood to Use for a Subfloor?
- CDX. CDX plywood is the most popular type of traditional or "veneer" plywood. ...
- Tongue and Groove. Tongue and groove, often shortened to "T and G" in builder-speak, is a joint used in many types of woodworking.
- Oriented Strand Board (OSB) OSB is an engineered structural panel, and technically, it isn't plywood. ...
- Multilayer Construction and Sizes. ...
Is OSB a bad subfloor material?
The subfloor is always a structural layer of sheet good material—usually plywood or oriented strand board (OSB), or occasionally particleboard. Of the two most common subfloor materials, builders often debate which is best: plywood or OSB.
How to buy the Best Flooring?
- Laminate flooring is resistant to dents and scratches.
- Some laminate flooring is waterproof, making it a good pick for bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
- Laminate floors are easy to clean.
- Laminate flooring is significantly cheaper than hardwood flooring.
What is the strongest subfloor?
Because plywood is the stronger material, very observant home buyers may place a small premium on plywood subfloors.
Is plywood or OSB better for subfloor?
OSB has a lower resale value than plywood due to its lower strength. For this reason, few homeowners prefer OSB in their homes. Apart from costs, plywood is superior in all the other areas, such as the strength of the structure. For this reason, it's a superior material for use on the subfloor.
What are 3 common subfloor materials?
When it comes to a home flooring system, there are typically four subfloor options to choose from.Oriented Strand Board. Often mistakenly referred to as “plywood,” oriented strand board is the most common material used for a subfloor. ... Plywood. ... Particleboard. ... Concrete.
What are the different types of sub flooring?
There are four primary materials used as subfloor: plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), concrete, and high-performance panels. There are other subfloors materials out there, but they are used in more niche situations.
How thick should sub floor be?
The minimum thickness of plywood for subflooring is about 5/8 inch. Since it does not hold fasteners as well as plywood, OSB must be a little thicker, or at least 23/32 inch. There are several factors that determine what subfloor thickness is optimal for added benefits like insulation.
What thickness of plywood is used for subfloor?
The thicknesses are as follows: 7/16-, 15/32- and 1/2-inch-thick panels require joists spaced 16 inches on center; 19/32- and 5/8-inch-thick panels require joists spaced 20 inches on center. For retrofitting older construction, 23/32- and 3/4-inch-thick panels can be used over 24-inch on center joists.
Can I put new subfloor over old subfloor?
Install a layer of at least ½” or preferably 5/8” ply over the existing planks. This is particularly important if your old sub floor has lumps and bumps in it. If you don't respect this thickness of ply, then you're highly likely to see rises and falls in your new flooring.
Which is better OSB or plywood?
Osb is stronger than plywood in shear. Shear values, through its thickness, are about 2 times greater than plywood. This is one of the reasons osb is used for webs of wooden I-joists.
How many layers of subfloor do I need?
Most floors in residential homes consist of four layers.
How do you waterproof a subfloor?
One way is by laminating the plywood with a coat of paint. This coat makes the plywood durable, water-repellent, and long-lasting. Manufacturers use different hydrophobic sealants, such as polyurethane or epoxy, to add a protective layer on the subfloors and make them waterproof.
Is tongue and groove necessary for subfloor?
For subflooring, you use tongue and groove plywood. The tongue and groove are only along the 8 foot edges. On the four foot edges, your seams will fall on joist tops, so no need for tongue and groove.
Should you glue underlayment to subfloor?
No, you should not glue down your underlayment. Underlayment is is a floating material, the same as your laminate flooring. In most cases, you should not glue or nail your underlayment down.
Which is better plywood or OSB?
Osb is stronger than plywood in shear. Shear values, through its thickness, are about 2 times greater than plywood. This is one of the reasons osb is used for webs of wooden I-joists. However, nail-holding ability controls performance in shear wall applications.
What type of plywood is best for subfloor?
Standard plywood can be used for subfloors, but a better material is 3/4-inch tongue-and-groove plywood subflooring. The tongue-and-groove edges interlock to resist movement along the panel edges and create an overall stiffer floor.
Is OSB OK for subfloor?
Around the 1990s, OSB began to make in-roads into the plywood market for subflooring. Most local codes allow OSB to be used for subflooring. It's always best to check with your local permitting office before using OSB for your subfloor. One advantage that OSB has over plywood is its larger formatting.
Is OSB cheaper than plywood?
OSB is less expensive than plywood. To build a typical 2,400-square foot home, OSB may cost $700 less than plywood. OSB is considered by many to be a “green” building material because it can be made from smaller-diameter trees, such as poplars, that are often farmed.
How thick is a subfloor?
A typical subfloor is comprised of 4 x 8 or 4 x 12-foot sheets of 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch thick A/C-graded plywood nailed or screwed to the joist layer.
What is the best material for underlayment?
Common materials include plywood, cement fiberboard, cement board, troweled mortar, and foam or cork padding . Floor covering.
What is subfloor made of?
Usually made of plywood or OSB , the subfloor provides a stable surface, not just for floor coverings but for all of the heavy "live-load" elements in the living space, such as furniture, people, kitchen and bath cabinets, showers, and tubs.
What is smooth surface flooring?
The smooth surface flooring that you see is really a layered "sandwich" composed of several different layers, each of which serves essential functions in making a floor that looks and performs adequately.
Can you lay plywood on concrete?
Unless you are installing tile—which can be installed directly on the concrete—a moisture-impermeable subfloor or underlayment is required. You can lay down plywood on top of sleeper strips (serving as mini-joists resting directly on the slab), or you can lay the plywood directly on the concrete.
Can you put laminate flooring on plywood?
Only now is the subfloor ready for cement board underlayment. Laminate flooring: As with hardwood, laminate flooring is best installed on a 3/4 -inch-thick plywood subfloor. If the existing subfloor is in poor condition, you will need to add a secondary underlayment of thin plywood over the subfloor.
Can porcelain tile be subfloored?
Ceramic or porcelain tile: The subfloor for tile can be tricky since it is important to avoid any flexing that would later cause cracking in the tile's grout and in the tile itself. Make sure the joists are sturdy and not subject to flexing; doubling them up ("sistering") may help make the floor more rigid.
What is the best material for a subfloor?
Subfloors (sometimes called the substrate ) can be made from many different materials. As we mentioned, the purpose of a subfloor is to provide stability and integrity to the finished floor. A level, smooth, and dry subfloor also makes for easier installation of nearly all types of flooring .\
How thick should a subfloor be for hardwood floors?
Typically, the subfloor for this type of installation is plywood or OSB. And should be at least ¾ of an inch thick.
Why do you need an underlayment?
There are many reasons for adding underlayment: it can reinforce the subfloor for a heavy material like tile; it can act as a sound barrier for a second-floor room; perhaps most importantly, it can serve as a vapor barrier .
When should you replace your subfloor?
No matter how careful you are when maintaining your new floors on the surface, if your subfloor is compromised , it can ruin them from the bottom up.
What is subflooring?
Subflooring covers the joists. Usually, it’s nailed to them. Together, the joists and subfloor distribute all the weight your floors take from above—running for the phone, flopping onto the heavy couch, dance parties with your dog (we don’t judge), your kids’ wrestling matches, etc.
What are the parts of a floor?
Basically, most floors have 3 parts: Joists are the structural ribs of your floors. These heavy-duty beams run under the floors of every room in your house. In an old house, you can go into the basement, look up, and see the joists. Subflooring covers the joists. Usually, it’s nailed to them.
Can floating floors be used as subfloor?
There are some disadvantages of floating floors, but when it comes to subfloor and underlayment requirements, you won’t find many. Just use the underlayment specified by your floating product and you’ll be ready to go.
What subflooring is best to use in new build?
We are in our selection of material phase for our new build. Our home will be mostly hardwood flooring with tile in the bathrooms and laundry room. What do you feel is the best sub flooring material to use. We would also like to know if it is better to screw it down to prevent warping and squeaky floor boards. Thanks in advance!
Comments (5)
We used AdvanTek glued and screwed to I-Beams for our subflooring and it has been great. We have a combination of hardwood and porcelain tile flooring. The combination of I-Beams on 16" centers with AdvanTek provide a very solid floor with little to no deflection providing the stability for tile.
What is the best subfloor for a tile house?
Plywood. A well-installed subfloor should last as long as the house itself. Because plywood is inherently a stiffer material with greater strength, it is a better choice as a subfloor under ceramic or stone tile.
What is the best subfloor material for water?
Best for Water and Heat Resistance: Plywood. Plywood is more likely to resist permanent swelling, which is a good quality for a subfloor material. Both ply wood and OSB will burn should a house fire break out.
What is a subfloor in a home?
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. The subfloor consists of sheet materials that are nailed or screwed to the joists to form the base for the underlayment and surface flooring material. The terms underlayment and subfloor are often used interchangeably, but they are actually separate layers. The subfloor is always a structural layer of sheet good material—usually plywood or OSB, or occasionally particleboard.
How long should plywood subfloors last?
Plywood subfloors should last as long as the house itself.
How thick is plywood for subfloor?
A plywood subfloor generally uses 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch-thick sheets of plywood that have one rough side (which faces down) and one smooth side, which faces up. The sheets are generally 4 x 8 or 4 x 12 feet in size.
What is OSB plywood?
OSB (oriented strand board) is made from large, flat chips arranged in as many as 50 layers , which are adhered together with glues and pressed into sheets. Because it makes use of leftover wood material, OSB tends to be cheaper than plywood, and it is more uniform, since it has none of the knots and other defects that may be present in plywood. OSB came into use as a subfloor material in the 1970s.
Why do you put plywood on subfloors?
Because plywood is the stronger material, very observant home buyers may place a small premium on plywood subfloors.
What is OSB plywood?
Though building codes treat both materials equally as “structural panels,” plywood and oriented strand board (OSB) are quite different compositionally. Plywood is made from glued thin strips of wood veneer (called plies) that are layered at alternating 90-degree angles and placed in a hot press; the resulting cross-laminated and layered material is structurally enhanced and resistant to the expansion and contraction that affects solid wood. OSB, on the other hand, consists of 3-inch to 4-inch strands of wood that are also layered and configured in a crossing pattern, then glued and pressed.
Is plywood better than OSB?
This evolved plywood may claim an overall advantage over OSB, since plywood is a stiffer, longer-lasting subfloor option. It will also hold up better under flooring accidents like leaks or flooding, and has greater nail withdrawal strength to hold the nail in under stress.
Is OSB plywood or plywood?
OSB is considered more structurally consistent than plywood. Since a sheet of plywood consists of several large veneers of wood, it’s susceptible to instances of knots and other imperfections (which, if aligned, could create slightly softer spots throughout the material). Meanwhile, OSB compacts as many as 50 layers of strands into a single sheet the same thickness as that plywood, ensuring a much denser—and heavier—product throughout.
Does plywood absorb water?
When a roofless, partially built structure takes on water, the plywood or OSB used for floor decking can absorb water, swell, delaminate, and require sanding or replacement before finish flooring can be installed. “Wood and water just do not mix well,” says Jeff Key, marketing manager for wood products at Georgia-Pacific.
The Four Flooring Layers
Anatomy of The Subfloor
- Subflooring is the bottom-most horizontal layer of a flooring system—the layer that rests directly on the structural joists that span the space between support beams or load-bearing walls. Normally, the only time you will repair, replace, or make changes to the subfloor is during major remodeling or construction jobs. A typical subfloor is comprised of 4 x 8 or 4 x 12-foot sheets o…
How to Install A Subfloor
- Whether the subfloor consists of plywood or OSB sheets, installationis similar. First, make sure the underlying joists are relatively flat and level. Where there are structural issues with the joists, these problems should be remedied before laying the subfloor. Where the joists are slightly uneven, some carpenters lay down a bead of construction adhesive over the tops of the joists be…
Recommendation For Specific Flooring
- Where you are laying a subfloor from scratch and know what the surface floor covering will be, this may affect how you install the subfloor. 1. Hardwood flooring:Plywood is the best subfloor for hardwood flooring installation. CDX plywood ranging from 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick and rated A/C will serve well for any hardwood flooring installation. Tongue...
Considerations For Concrete Slabs
- Subflooring in a basement or for other concrete slabs is an entirely different matter since you have no joists and there may be moisture issues. Even if the basement's concrete floorlooks and feels dry to the touch, residual moisture may wick up over time and damage your finish flooring. Unless you are installing tile—which can be installed directly on the concrete—a moisture-imper…