How To Install Plywood Underlayment For Hardwood Floors

This makes installing other flooring such as hardwood difficult over a particleboard floor.

How to install plywood underlayment for hardwood floors. Do this by multiplying the room s length by its width. A hardwood floor sander works great for this task. A floor underlayment is installed over a subfloor to provide a smooth surface onto which carpet hardwood vinyl or other finished flooring can be installed. The appearance of a floor is determined by the quality of subflooring and plywood underlayment is often the blessing or curse of an attractive room.

We load our sheets of underlayment material on sawhorses for easy layout and cutting. Moisture content in the subfloor should be low before installing underlayment. The key to a beautiful long lasting hardwood or laminate floor is a well prepared subfloor. Plywood underlayment is a thin plywood material that is most commonly used under resilient flooring materials such as vinyl and linoleum sheets and tiles.

Before you install your plywood subfloor first calculate the room s square footage to find out how much flooring you ll need to buy. It can also be used under hardwood laminate and carpet but this is much less common these days because subflooring is typically smooth enough for these materials many of which are installed with a different type of underlayment or pad. The use of shaw underlayment under a solid hardwood floor is not recommended. Get a comprehensive breakdown on which materials to use what to take into consideration and what steps to take for four subfloor systems.

Shaw installation guides call for the use of 15 lb. The most commonly used type of floor. Poorly installed underlayment leaves obvious blemishes that show through vinyl laminate hardwood and other floor coverings. Asphalt saturated felt paper to be used under solid hardwood flooring.

Floated subfloor alternate subfloor glue down sub floor and the nail down subfloor system. Nail or staple installations solid hardwood flooring must be nailed or stapled to an approved subfloor.