Adding To Subfloor For Engineered Hardwood

Structurally sound and clean.

Adding to subfloor for engineered hardwood.

Flush transition moldings are commonly used to complement nailed down or glued down wood floors. Engineered wood also can be used on above or below grade. If there is any deflection in the subfloor when walked on it would be advisable to add an additional layer of 3 8 or 1 2 thick plywood underlayment glued and screwed down. And free of dirt paint drywall patch and other contaminates.

Floating engineered wood floors can simply be installed directly on osb subfloor the hardwood flooring must be installed crossing the floor joists at a 90 degree angle. Over lap moldings are designed to transition to other floors while still providing an expansion gap so the flooring can have freedom to expand and contact with indoor climate changes. Level floors are critical for reducing gaps between the flooring material and substrate and preventing sagging and other structural complications. Floating floors require over lap transition moldings to be used.

When nailing down a wood floor the subfloor should be flat to within 1 4 in 10 or 3 16 in 6. Whichever method you use for an additional subfloor allow 3 4 inch expansion space at the walls and vertical obstructions. Solid strip or plank can be laid directly over a sleeper system but engineered wood flooring less than 3 4 inch thick or solid plank wider than 4 inches requires a wood subfloor over the sleepers. The prep work for laying engineered hardwood flooring varies depending on what s under it but any subfloor needs to be flat within 3 16 inch in a 10 foot radius or 1 8inch in a 6 foot radius.

Wood floors may be installed over subfloors that are out of level such as a ramp but should still fall within floor flatness tolerances. The key to a beautiful long lasting hardwood or laminate floor is a well prepared subfloor. Do this by multiplying the room s length by its width.