leaves it floating<\/a>, though. Depending on the type of flooring you will be installing, the manufacturer may suggest a specific type of underlayment, which you will want to install after laying the second layer of plywood.<\/p>\nStep 3: Decide on Plywood<\/h2>\n There are many reasons why you may want to add a layer of plywood to your subfloor. First off, you need to keep in mind that the subfloor is the structural integrity of the floor. This is what you will walk on, set your furniture on, and keep yourself from falling between the joists. Here you must decide, are you adding a second layer of thin plywood as an underlayment or the second layer of subfloor? This will affect the thickness of the plywood you select.<\/p>\n
As mentioned before, underlayment is a thinner piece of plywood that is about \u00bc thick. Subflooring runs thicker since it provides structural support \u2013 usually \u00be inch to 7\/8 inch. No matter which you choose, your installation process will be the same. You should just be aware that what you install will change the height of your floor, so be aware of this for doors or alternate flooring in another room (it could cause uneven floors).<\/p>\n
Step 4: Acclimate Plywood<\/h2>\n Now you\u2019re ready to install the new underlayment or subfloor. First, be sure that the floor is completely clean from all nails, screws, glue, staples, carpet fibers, dust, and thinset. The best suggestion for this is to use a shop vac because you can use it for both wet and dry materials. Some people suggest running a long magnetic strip over the floor to lift any metals, like nails and staples, so they won’t damage the shop fac. However, if you’ve already swept, this won’t be as much of an issue.<\/p>\n
Now that the floor is dust- and debris-free, be sure to acclimate the wood. I recommend bringing in the plywood before you even lift the original flooring, if possible. As long as your home does not have both a greenhouse room and a walk-in freezer, the environment should be the same throughout. So bringing the wood into an adjacent room for 72 hours should be as good as having it in the actual room. This way, you can work while the wood acclimates. Of course, if you prefer to keep the wood in the same room that it will be installed, that\u2019s your choice.<\/p>\n
Step 5: Install Plywood<\/h2>\n To install the plywood, you\u2019ll simply lay the sheets down and nail them in place. Many DIYers suggest placing the sheets perpendicular to the current subfloor. This will increase the strength of the subfloor. If you\u2019re installing underlayment, you\u2019ll want to follow this same method. This also ensures that the seams never line up, which could cause a weak spot.<\/p>\n
If possible, make sure the seams of the plywood meet at floor joints. When you nail these in place, it’ll guarantee extra support. As you lay each plywood sheet down, use galvanized screws or shank nails to fasten the two plywood floors together.<\/p>\n
Shank nails have divots over the body to provide extra grip within the fibers of the wood. Galvanized screws will provide an even better grip than the nails and are rust-resistant. Some DIYers choose to use a staple gun because it is a faster process, and that is okay, too. Just be sure to space the staples closer to each other than the six inches you would space the nails or screws (staples should be about two inches apart).<\/p>\n
As you lay each sheet, be aware of the fit. These pieces should sit next to each other with no resistance. Remember, wood swells with the seasons, so you wouldn\u2019t want to cause buckling and bowing in your flooring. If you can leave up to 1\/8-inch space between the sheets, these can be sealed with a silicone sealant before laying down your new flooring. If the sheets rub together, use a saw to trim the edge of the plywood board. Just remember, measure twice and only cut once!<\/p>\n
Step 6: Keep in Mind<\/h2>\n One more thing before we\u2019re done: keep in mind that every flooring manufacturer will suggest a type of underlayment to complement their product best. It\u2019s up to you if you choose to follow their advice, but it\u2019s always the best option. Also, remember that plywood is not water-resistant. If you intend to lay down a product that can allow for seepage, you\u2019ll either want a different underlayment or you\u2019ll want to provide a water barrier product that will protect your subfloor from moisture and eventual rot (like I did in my mother\u2019s bathroom.)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My mother wanted to redo her bathroom with some new floating laminate flooring. To save on installation costs, I promised I\u2019d remove the tile for her. How hard could it be, right? I found that it was easiest to demolish the tile and then was left with thinset on the plywood subfloor. After looking for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2115,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Easily add an extra layer of plywood over your subfloor with these tips! - Two Make a Home<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n