The subfloor is the bottom most structure of the floor. It provides a flat and stable surface and supports the actual floor. Underlayment is different from the subfloor in that it rests between the subfloor and the actual floor.
What goes between floor and subfloor?
Underlayment: The underlayment is the layer of flooring that sits directly under the finish floor. The underlayment is somewhat structural and sometimes optional, but it is there to provide a smooth surface on which the visible finish floor sits.
What is a subfloor?
The subfloor is the foundation beneath finish flooring materials. On wood-frame floors, the subflooring provides a continuous structural surface over the floor joists. In basements and in homes with slab-on-grade foundations, the subfloor may simply be a concrete slab.
What is the name of subfloor?
Plywood Subfloor
Plywood is probably the most common subfloor material out there; in fact, until the 1980s, it was just about the only subfloor used in single-family homes. Plywood is made by layering fabricated sheets of wood veneer and bonding them together with special adhesives under heat and pressure.
What is the floor on top of the subfloor called?
Underlayment: Some types of flooring can be installed directly on top of the subfloor, such as vinyl flooring. Other types need a middle layer, called underlayment, such as laminate,carpet and tile.
Do I need a subfloor over plywood?
Plywood underlayment is typically needed when a floor material must have a very smooth, flat surface. For example, if you install resilient tiles or sheet flooring over a subfloor, any bumps, dips, or voids in the subfloor may be evident in the finished flooring.
Is subflooring always plywood?
Plywood is the material most commonly used for subflooring. Manufactured from thin sheets of wood glued together with the grain of each layer perpendicular to the previous one, plywood provides a strong support, a smooth surface and a reasonable cost. Oriented strand board (OSB) is another popular subfloor material.
What are the different layers of flooring called?
A general floor typically has four layers: floor covering, underlayment, subfloor, and joists.
What is the difference between underlayment and subfloor?
Basically, subfloors are a structural part of your home that provide strength and rigidity to your home’s flooring. Underlays, on the other hand, protect your floor covering from moisture, help soundproof your floor, and offer cushioning and comfort underfoot. You can think of your floor like a sandwich cookie.
What are the parts of a subfloor?
Subfloor – the structurally sound layer, usually plywood. Flooring Underlayment – this is used to smooth out the subfloor with a thin layer of plywood, cement fiberboard or cement board providing a flat level surface. Finished Floor – your decorative top flooring layers such as hardwood, tile or laminate.
Can you put 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.
How thick should a subfloor 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.
Are subfloors necessary?
Subfloors are not always necessary but they are beneficial wherever they can be installed. They only come into play when you want to expand downward and make your basement a warm, livable space. If you don’t plan to use the space, there is no need for a subfloor or floor covering.
Do I need 2 layers of subfloor?
That’s the usual approach. Almost no one puts down double-thick subfloor in residential applications (for cost and handling reasons), and both layers need to be fastened to joists. Only thin underlayment can be fastened just to the subfloor.
Do hardwood floors need subfloor?
When planning your installation, it’s important to keep in mind that a solid hardwood floor is only as good as its subfloor. A proper subfloor will be the unsung hero of your solid hardwood investment, while the wrong subfloor will cause you problems.
What goes between subfloor and hardwood?
Underlayment is the layer of material that sits between the subfloor and the new hardwood flooring. Subflooring is a layer of plywood or engineered wood that sits at the very bottom layer of the flooring.
Can you put hardwood flooring over subfloor?
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.
