Vinyl Flooring Over Plywood Subfloor

Measure carefully to ensure that the plywood is an appropriate fit.

Vinyl flooring over plywood subfloor.

A subfloor is the bottom most structural level of your floor. Simply nail the sheets of underlayment to the wood sub floor and make sure everything is covered. Get some 1 8 hardboard lauan or birch plywood one side smooth and lay it down without gaps over the sub floor. If it is uneven or wood slats you will need to apply 1 4 underlayment to the top.

Step 4 spread the adhesive. This installation method creates a floating floor which means gripstrip vinyl planking covers the subfloor without adhering or fastening to it in any manner. Assess the condition of the wood. Because you can install sheet vinyl over existing vinyl it offers the option of changing design without breaking the bank.

If you have a weak subfloor that flexes up and down when walked on i would recommended adding an additional layer of 3 8 or 1 2 inch thick plywood underlayment glued and screwed down over a 5 8 or. Cover your existing subfloor area where new vinyl flooring will be installed with 1 4 inch plywood. Floating floors are an easy mess free way to install new flooring without necessarily having to remove the existing flooring. It supports your decorative floor finish whether it s carpet hardwood vinyl laminate or tile.

To help you start your installation project off right here are a few tips for preparing your subfloor. However you need to make the call as to the quality of the existing floor the level of imperfection you are willing to tolerate. Walk across the floor to learn whether any areas feel soft underfoot and secure them with screws. Vinyl is one of the few types of floors that can be safely installed over concrete wood or other solid floors.

You can have these pieces cut by a lumber yard or use a circular saw on the job site. Measure and cut 1 4 inch or thicker plywood with a circular saw to fit the entire floor of the room where you are installing vinyl flooring. In most cases 4 by 8 foot sheets of particle board or plywood must be installed in preparation for the vinyl floor install. Smooth any edges fill any gaps.

Preparation for installing floor tile depends on the type of subfloor in the room you are tiling. At this thickness you can staple it down. Loose areas on an existing plywood subfloor can cause peel and stick tiles to lift over time. If the subfloor is perfectly smooth plywood then you could install the vinyl directly to it.

For more information download our pdf about types of subfloors. Vinyl flooring is usually not installed directly over the subfloor in residential applications.