installing plywood over plank subfloor

You'll start laying plywood over floorboards by putting a square in the corner and leaving about 1/8 inch between the plywood and the wall. I recommend using wood screws at nine-inch intervals. Screw or nail this piece of plywood into place. Pine offers grain textures and knots that create an interesting look on your floor. By sticking with the 16 inch on center rule you will find that each piece of plywood over plank subfloor has 7 joists under it. If you follow these general guidelines, you shouldn’t go wrong when installing your new wood flooring, but if you’d like specific help for your project, simply get in touch. theplywood.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, Install a Combination Boiler/Water Heater, The Ultimate Guide to Sealing Laminate Floors, Exterior Walls Construction: The Start-to-Finish Guide, The Uses of and Challenges in Cutting Formica, The Ultimate Guide to DIY Birdhouse Design, Aquarium Cabinetry: A DIY Guide to Custom Aquarium Stands, The Ultimate Guide to Building a Bat House, The Ultimate Guide to Building a Portable Generator Enclosure, How to Remove and Replace Your Load Bearing Wall, Drying Wood in the Oven: The Ultimate How-To Guide, How to Cut a Groove or Channel on Wood Without a Router. It is not recommended to go further than 16 inches unless you have checked and checked again the spanning distance. It isn’t uncommon for this type of plywood to have defects on its surfaces, but they are often available much cheaper than A or B grade plywood. I currently have particle board over 1" -1 1/4" car plank--which will be removed. The current subfloor is 1x8 planking ran at a 45° angle. Screwing into the edge gives only passable results but does seem to take biscuits and dowels and glue OK. You may also like. In addition to this, each piece of plywood will end in the center of a joist. It is also recommended that you countersink your screws into the plywood so that the heads of the screws don’t cause you problems later. These subfloors must meet structural requirements. Installing new hardwood floors over plank subfloor is one images from 23 dream installing laminate wood flooring over plywood photo of Get in The Trailer photos gallery. If the plywood subfloor you’re placing is 5/8 of an inch thick, you need a screw about 1 5/8 inches long. you must lay the new boards perpendicular (at 90 degrees) to the old ones. To achieve a proper vertical installation you need to first carefully install the rim joist. Also, donâ t forget to wear proper safety If you’ve got a plank sub floor and are looking to install a new wooden floor, then you’re highly to be debating the pros and cons of laying your new floor directly on the old plank sub floor, or introducing a layer of ply. Like all wooden flooring products, it’s a good idea to acclimatise your plywood before laying it. Tips for Plywood Subfloor Installation. Leave a 1/4-inch expansion gap around walls and joints. In some cases, homes do not have a multilayer floor construction, omitting the subfloor. Here are our top 3 tips if you’re thinking of installing a plywood floor. It comes in a vast array of sizes, types, and configurations. Should You Lay Plywood Over Plank Sub Floor? Check local building regulations for subfloor thickness and other requirements before you get started with this project. What would be the minimum thickness of plywood that I should use, and as I understand it, I should not screw the new floor to the floor joists (?). In cases like this, the subfloor will be added during the remodeling process. Inner plys appear to be poplar with a fair number of voids and overlaps. I had to make up a few quick cabinet boxes for a storage area and decided to use some 3/4" prefinished Chinese plywood to try out. Can Armstrong floors be installed directly over strip wood, board or plank-type subflooring? The inner plys are pretty sloppy and they depend on sanding to get it even enough for the final veneer which is whisper thin and very easy to chip an edge off if handled carelessly. In order to ensure that the plywood starts at the edge of the house, the first joist will have to be installed 16 inches on center from the house edge. This is excellent for subfloor, as it helps prevent the plywood edges from moving around and squeaking once they have been installed. Vinyl flooring is usually not installed directly over the subfloor in residential applications. Both OSB and CDX subfloor plywoods are available with the tongue and groove arrangement. Thank you for the help. If you want to make a better seal on the grooves, you can use construction adhesive while setting each piece of tongue and groove plywood into place. Working this way creates what is called a “slip” between the two flooring materials and is recommended. Also how far apart should my screws be when installing the plywood. For most subfloors, you will need to add an extra layer of wood. Now, all that remains is to follow these simple instructions for how to install plank subfloor over existing floor. One person told us to use 1/2″ backerboard. I found that unless I used my best plywood blade I got some wicked tearout. Of the two, it’s the better choice for subfloors in kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas that might be exposed to moisture. On the 3/4" subfloor, you have the right idea. MON-FRI 08:00-18:30 / SAT 10:00-16:30 / SUN 11:00-16:00 / BANK HOLIDAYS 10:00-15:30. The manufacturing process uses wafers of wood that a binder presses together in order to form the finished panel. Think mortise and tenon and you’ll get the idea. Here’s the basic rundown of how to use DITRA for ceramic or porcelain tile: 16 inch on-center joist spacing with single layer OSB or plywood subfloor; 19.2 inch on-center joist spacing with single layer OSB or plywood subfloors Finally, continue to cut and place the plywood until the floor has been fully covered. Different types of plywood are made from a variety of materials, and are manufactured using a variety of processes designed to provide a finished product that’s well-suited to the intended use. You will want to make sure that you leave at least a 1/8″ gap between the walls and the plywood sheets. Bavak: Gluing plywood to the face of sawn lumber may create movement issues that could translate through the plywood into the tile. Use the next longer screw if you have to. The main difference is that OSB has much more structural integrity then particle board. Flooring Over Plank Subfloor Whether or not you need plywood underlayment under engineered wood flooring depends on the condition of the original subfloor. Once that is done you will pull up the existing flooring, such as the linoleum or the carpeting. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Now, there will be times that you have to go shorter than 16 inches, but you will have to cut the plywood to accommodate a shorter length. This allows for natural expansion and contraction. Unless you want to run your new planks perpendicular to the original boards, you have no option but to introduce a layer of ply. Twisting is bad in this situation as it can potentially weaken them to the point of failure. If it is attached to the joists, you can use the 1 ⁄ 4-in. If it’s on top of another subfloor, remove the tongue-and-groove hardwood to get down to the lowest subfloor level. I understand that I should install a plywood layer over the original lay in order to enable the planks to be installed lengthwise. Also the surface while looking smooth does have some noticeable sanding undulations that you can feel if you slide your hand over the surface. Your help is greatly appreciated. When you fix the ply to the old floor, you should avoid fixing it to the joists. It’s fairly easy to install plywood over subfloor, but you’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to complete the job. The X in CDX indicates that the plywood is designed to withstand some exposure to the elements. If you don’t respect this thickness of ply, then you’re highly likely to see rises and falls in your new flooring. It's a classic New Orleans shotgun. CD plywood is typically used in places where it won’t be seen, helping to cut down on project costs. At Wood and Beyond, we have a great team, all of whom are passionate about wood flooring and we’ll happily share our years of experience with you if you’d like us to. Also consider your floor joist width and span. For low profile hardwood flooring a 3/8" plywood installed over the planking will make for a flatter subfloor surface to install these floors over… Once you re-install your baseboards, your flooring project will be complete. Structural floor on top of joists has to be at least 18mm thick overall. Should I use 1/2" or 5/8" plywood as a subfloor over my car plank. When you install your lumber joists, if they are not already installed, you want to make sure that they are installed and held vertically. Install a layer of at least ½” or preferably 5/8” ply over the existing planks. You have to do this to ensure that they don’t end up twisting. Don’t forget to leave the gap by the walls. With the plywood in place, install the backer board as you normally would. plywood to establish a flat surface and separate the two hardwood surfaces to avoid the expansion and contraction differences between the two hardwoods. DIY PLYWOOD FLOORS: I love my house. So, if your subfloor is 3/4" and you are installing 5/8" plywood, your screws should be no shorter than 1-5/8". If at all possible, aim to sand your existing planks if they are showing significant signs of old glue or materials that need to be removed. We are installing 12″ x 12″ porceline tile over our 1/2 inch plywood subfloor. Right now, I have 3/4 TG hardwood, which is not in the best shape, over a 2.5" wide x 3/4" inch think plank subfloor, which runs perpendicular to the joists (2x10, 16 oc). Add a layer of 1/2-in. Hi - This is work differently from on various site and Ply. Installing A Subfloor Over Concrete Basement On December 12, 2019 By Amik Nail down solid hardwood flooring how to install vinyl plank over basement floor insulation contractor how to install laminate flooring over what are the best flooring options for Things to take into account when laying ply over plank subfloors: Take time to make sure your existing planks are well secured in place. 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 existing planks that make up your floor have strength that runs in one direction only, and it is now recognised that ideally, subfloors should have strength that runs in both directions. Doing so may create weak spots in your floor. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. For the 1/2" underlayment, ideally, you want to screw every 6" all across the panel. One of the big considerations when installing different types of flooring in the home is getting the finished elevations to match. In either case, then you can install 1/2" cement board. Subfloor is squeeky and I'm aware it's not suitable surface for cement board underlayment. Plywood is one of the most common subfloors in use today. Oriented Strand Board (OSB) is structurally engineered for strength. Lastly, are dichromate (yellow zinc-ish) screws appropriate for this application? 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. screws every 6 in. If you’re installing a plywood floor on floorboards, make sure to install your new planks of wood at a 90° angle to the existing floorboards. Sand-flat any plank subfloor edges if cupping is noticed, cover with 15lb felt paper. Then I went over the entire floor, countersinking nails, removing padding staples and filling any large gaps or … Know the joist spacing of your home before installing DITRA. Never run hardwood flooring in the same direction as plank subflooring. I have a second story floor that was carpet over plywood subfloor. Our Showroom will be available for pre-book meeting only and under COVID-19 restrictions. This edge fits into the slot one the adjoining piece of plywood. Inspect the subfloor for evenness along joints and flatness between joists. Now, all that remains is to follow these simple instructions for how to install plank subfloor over existing floor. You will want to make sure that you leave at least a 1/8″ gap between the walls and the plywood sheets. Hi – Using Ply wood have various reason including - Leveling, create better surface, Hight issues etc. Thanks for posting this great information! This is particularly important if your old sub floor has lumps and bumps in it. If they don’t fit, cut 1/16 inch to 1/8 inch off the casing and check again. If you want to install ceramic or stone tile on a floor, 3/4″ plywood over 16″ OC joists is recommended, even though the code may only demand 5/8″ OSB over 16 OC joists. Cupping occurs when hardwood floorboards begin to curl along the length of the board, somewhat like a taco shell but less pronounced. Over 100 years old, it was made by craftsmen who really knew how to build things to last. If you need to choose a sheet like OSB, PLY or other than Ply normally consider better as it more stable. Iron-on edge veneer went on fairly well, but care must be taken when trimming and sanding the edging not to sand through the face veneer. Now you can install the floor coverings, whatever they may be. Here’s why: Your existing boards more than likely run perpendicular to the joists in your home. BC plywood over the old subfloor, using construction adhesive and driving 1-1/4-in. Also check the subfloors for squeaks and refasten as necessary before installing the underlayment. Since the nails are 1.75″ long, that’s about 0.75″ of nail to dig into the plywood subfloor, which is great. This is particularly important if your old sub floor has lumps and bumps in it.