The subfloor under the tile should be at least 1 1/8″ thick, with a minimum of 5/8″ thick exterior grade plywood topped by 1/2″ cement backer board. How the subfloor materials react to water matters during both an open-air construction phase of a house as well as homeownership when a leak or flood might compromise the subfloor. Bang on advice above. The floor must also handle the weight of the tub, shower, tiles and other fixtures. Nominal Product Width (ft.) 2. As far as the thickness of the subfloor goes, the 1 1/8″ minimum thickness includes the 1/2″ cement backer board, so you could get by with one thick layer of plywood (5/8″ or 3/4″ thick) topped by cement backer board with wider joists under it to make up the difference. While not precisely a "floor layer," joists are an essential part of the entire floor layering matrix. The most recommended subfloor material is 5/8″ plywood. The reason old homes have these built-up floors is that previous owners did not want to incur the expense or take on the labor of removing unneeded floor layers. TileTip.com is dedicated to helping you learn more about tile, from the wide varieties, sizes, and colors, to the finishing pieces, to working with trained professionals to complete your installation We also understand that sometimes choosing the right tile is part of a larger project like a bathroom or kitchen remodel. In rare instances, you may have only one layer of flooring. When choosing your subfloor material, take into consideration how the thickness will effect the overall heigh of the built up shower pan in relation to your shower curb. I plan to use the same thickness. The subfloor is the thick flat surface on which all other layers rest. CDX plywood (¾”) in particular is used often because it has a high level of resistance to moisture and humidity. The ply needs sealing underside and sides, 2mm joint left between the boards and the sheets staggered. Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. With AdvanTech subfloor adhesive, you have a 20-minute open time to install panels. Take off the carpet by lifting up one end with your hands and pulling it up from the carpet nailing … You will need a straight edge ruler or a tape measure. The primary objective is to support the weight of the built up shower pan and provide a durable subfloor in the event of the natural processes of home settling and seismic movements. A piece of plywood can be purchased in 1/2″ or 3/4″ thickness, and most cement backer boards will be 1/4″, 1/2″, or 5/8″ thick. Not required to provide structural support, but often provides a type of supplementary support. This method of laying a sturdy subfloor on top of joists and then topping the subfloor with a cosmetic-only flooring top creates a tighter, stronger structure. over the 3/4 in. If you can afford water resistant marine plywood for your kitchen, laundry, and bath that would be a good idea. Laminate flooring gets a completely different type of underlayment—a thin foam that comes in rolls and which gets taped together. If you have a concrete slab floor, the slab may be considered the subfloor. Here are suggestions for ways to find out how thick your floor covering and/or subfloor are. x 2 ft. x 2 ft. Subfloor holds up all of the above layers of flooring, as well as everything in your house—people, dogs, cats, pianos, furniture. To fix this I have two options: 1) remove the additional subfloor, or 2) build up the subfloor to match that rest of the bathroom. The plywood must be exterior grade for all wet areas and it has to be installed in such a way that the joints between each layer do not line up, using what is known as a … I need to replace the sub-floor (sub-floors) in my bathroom. The bathroom floor gets wet. Layering makes it easier to change the visible floor if you tire of the look or if it has become damaged. That usually means the underlayment and the subfloor also get wet. "Floor covering" is the aptest description, since everything below—the substrate—can be considered the "real floor," in terms of structure and permanence. Stump subfloor Particularly appropriate for reactive soil or sloped ground, stump sub floors involve raising the house off the ground on stumps sunken into the earth. Performance Category. When the previous owners remodeled the bathroom forever ago, they added additional subfloor for God only knows why. If needed, cut any finishing pieces to size in order to complete the subfloor installation. Plywood is made by gluing alternating layers of wood veneer. The living room subfloor is 1/2 higher than the hall. All houses have subfloors. Joists are structural; they support everything above. This secondary layer can be added on top of the running boards or concrete slab. While some consider Byrne’s a approach overkill for ceramic tile, a more common method is to use nominal 1/2 in. If just overboarding then a minimum 6mm thickness is required. Choosing the wrong subfloor for your needs or having one installed incorrectly can have disastrous consequences further down the road. 3/4. length 100% waterproof; can be installed in most rooms of your home or business - Above, On or Below grade Can be installed over most existing surfaces including tile, wood, concrete and vinyl We benefit by helping you find what your looking for and are paid a small amount when a purchase is made on a sellers website we link out to. Often it is necessary to find out the type and thickness of your floor's layers. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. TileTip.com is your premier source for tile information and all the remodeling questions you have before, during, and after the installation. T-square drill pencil circular saw chalk line … A typical subfloor is comprised of 4 x 8 or 4 x 12-foot sheets of 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch thick A/C-graded plywood nailed or screwed to the joist layer. 7 mm thickness x 8.7 in. Currently what I removed was 1x10 slats, 1 inch of something that looks like particle board, a very thin sheet of some kind of layment and then the old topping of lino. 1/2. A standard material used for a subfloor is going to be a cut to size plywood, mainly due to its availability. Depending on the subfloor material, you will need to ensure it is sturdy enough to support the weight of a built up shower pan. Hardwood flooring may be installed straight onto the subfloor, with only a sheet of red rosin paper intervening. Cracked and popping tiles could be a material issue. There is little reason to have more than three layers of flooring (subfloor, underlayment, and floor covering). When installing a ceramic tile floor on a concrete subfloor, you don't have to worry about flexing as long as the concrete slab is at least 1 1/8-inch thick, which most slabs are. Called a floor covering or finish floor, this might be ceramic tile, solid wood, laminate, engineered wood, luxury vinyl, carpeting, and many others. If installed over concrete, the recommended subfloor is either 3/4-inch-thick plywood or 2x4s, and a vapor barrier of either asphalt felt and mastic or polyethylene film is required. What length screw should I use to affix into the joists? In order to add support and reinforce the subfloor structure, you can add a secondary layer that the built up shower pan will sit on top of. Except for those that have concrete slabs, all houses have joists. Tile floors are especially heavy with layers of cement board, mortar, tile or stone and grout. We featured the home here. The existing subfloor is 15/32 plywood. 9 Common Subfloor Mistakes—and How to Avoid Them, Mortared Shower Pan Install on Wood Subfloor, How to Prepare a Floor for a Walk-in Shower, Moen TS8711 Via Posi-Temp Valve Trim, Chrome, A subfloor will add extra stability and structure to your shower area floor, Plywood is an easily accessible material, cut it to the shower area floor size, and install using non-moisture corrosive screws, Cement Backerboard needs to be installed with a light coat of tile adhesive to secure it to the floor and also eliminate any voids, Make sure to use as few material pieces as possible, avoid multiple pieces since this will allow the floor to flex, Finish is highly reflective for a mirror–like look that works with any decorating style, Lever handles make it easy to adjust the water, Equipped with the PosiTemp® pressure–balancing control valve to help maintain water temperature in the shower, Built on the Moen M–PACT common valve system, allowing you to update the faucet style in the future without replacing any plumbing, Complies with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) specifications. When you remove the floor covering, you will see more flooring underneath—possibly underlayment, definitely subfloor. Option one sounds like way too much work, so I will be building up the subfloor. It is flexible, it can be changed out, it is inexpensive. It used to be tiled, so I wonder if when they broke up the tile, they removed that layer of subfloor. Would 1 ¾ inch be sufficient? To install the subfloor, whether it is the primary or secondary layer, you will need to accurately measure the length and width of your built up shower pan, also taking into consideration any non-square corners. Make sure it is screwed and fixed at appropriate points, usually a minimum 300mm centres. When choosing your subfloor material, take into consideration how the thickness will effect the overall heigh of the built up shower pan in relation to your shower curb. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. 15/32. Apply only enough adhesive for 2 to 3 panels at a time. It is not unusual to see so many layers that a cross-section of the flooring looks like a wedding cake. You should end up with material leading to the edge of your framed walls and shower curb. 4. In basements and in homes with slab-on-grade foundations, the subfloor may simply be a concrete slab. Some engineered-wood flooring can be installed as floating floors over a wood subfloor or consrete slab. The subfloor is the foundation beneath finish flooring materials. Always consult a professional contractor in your area to ensure that your bathroom or kitchen remodel follows the state and local building codes. Alternatively, you can choose to install a cement backer board as your subfloor or as an addition for support and structure. For example, base flooring layers need to be firm, flat, and deflection-free for ceramic tile or natural stone. 23/32. Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 12 years. Most homes will consist of a standard subfloor constructed of running boards laid over floor joists, a plywood layer over the running boards, or if on a first floor, the subfloor can be a concrete slab. Our bathroom tile installation dealt with placing HardieBacker over a wood subfloor that was composed of two layers of plywood approximately 7/8 inch thick. Step-by-step images provided Phillips Place Renovation, a blog that shares a couple's gorgeous mobile home remodel. Relying on the joists to shoulder the brunt of the load means that this floor top can be practically anything you like, as long as it performs a few basic duties like withstanding foot traffic. If you have a concrete slab floor, the slab may be considered the subfloor. The minimum thickness allowed for ceramic tile installations is two sheets of 5/8-inch thick plywood. Removing both of these things left behind OBVIOUS water damage and rot next to the bathtub and a hole in the floor where the plumber had capped off the bidet line. The subfloor is the bottom-most layer and it rests on the joists. The bidet was gone. Any water resistant coating or a vapor barrier? Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. Recommended to you based on your activity and what's popular • Feedback 8. Can You Add Padding Under a Hardwood Floor? However if you are trying to add stability and strength to the subfloor, look at thicknesses from 15 to 22mm. Preparing a subfloor is an essential step for installing floor tile.It provides a level surface that will allow the tiles to properly stay in place. We also smartly list products and services to help in moving your project along. If you are planning on building an interior non-load-bearing wall, you need the strongest subfloor possible. Substrate is a general term that means any surface below another surface but which, in the home remodeling world, most often refers to the stabilizing layer of material directly beneath the finish floor. Diamond Tipped Blade The diamond grit bonded to the edge of these steel blades lasts up to 30 times longer and cuts twice as fast as carbide grit. Directly below your feet is an ingenious method of flooring that has been used for centuries—and is still employed today. Tools. Heavy objects such as cast-iron tubs, refrigerators, and clothes washers need strong flooring. Let’s back it up to the last update I gave you on the bathroom… the vinyl adhesive tiles and the 1/4″ plywood it had been sitting on were gone. Typically made of plywood or OSB and ranging in thickness from 19/32" to 1 1/8" thick, the subfloor is truly structural, second only to joists in this respect. The installation guide for 1/4 inch HardieBacker recommends having wood subfloors made of 5/8 inch exterior grade plywood or OSB (oriented strand board) that is 23/32 inches thick. We gather the best information, organize it, and make it available to you according to the current stage of your remodeling project. Traditionally, exterior grade plywood has been the subfloor material of choice for many bathroom flooring projects. This video covers measuring , cutting , and the correct tricks for installing, to ensure a good bond and long lasting results that never squeak! In the upstairs, there is a large area of subfloor that is 1", but then there is a large area that is down 1/2" from that … We want your project to be successful and safe. The thicknesses are as follows: 7/16-, 15/32- and 1/2-inch-thick panels require joists spaced 16 inches on center; 19/32- and 5/8-inch-thick panels require joists spaced 20 inches on center. A stained concrete floor in your kitchen is just one layer. You will not always find this intermediary layer, as it is often not required. Ideally you would need to cut single, large pieces and screw them into the running boards or concrete slab. 3/4 7/16 ... DRICORE Subfloor Membrane Panel 3/4 in. width x 47.6 in. For wet, mortared applications, such as tile and stone, a cement backer board may be your first level below the flooring. This guide will show you how to prepare your subfloor for a tile installation project to ensure that it’s fit to support ceramic or porcelain tile. Oriented Strand Board (Common: 7/16 in. This is the visible floor—the one you see and walk on—and can be changed out. I have been told everything from 1 inch to 3 inches. Nominal Product Length (ft.) 2. Nominal Product Thickness (in.) 23/32. Joists are made of engineered, laminated wood or dimensional lumber. Before applying an adhesive, make sure the surface has no standing water and is free from oil and grease. Using the right type plywood ensures a long-lasting floor. Oriented Strand Board (386) Model# FG10006 $ 5 08. Use TileTip.com and the links to the other great resources we have found online to learn more before you start, so that you can finish with the best results possible. The experts show how to install the subfloor in a bathroom. Typically made of plywood or OSB and ranging in thickness from 19/32" to 1 1/8" thick, the subfloor is truly structural, second only to joists in this respect. Wrapping up the subfloor in the adjacent bathroom required an interesting puzzle piece to bridge the floor joists, to match the diagonal shiplap of the existing subfloor, and to accommodate a toilet drain. The subfloor is the bottom-most layer and it rests on the joists. If a plywood subfloor already exists, it may be redundant to add to the subfloor, which would only be increasing the height and add minimal support and structure. It is important to remember, if you choose a cement backer board, you will need to use the manufacturer recommended backer board screws. What Is a Finish Floor or Floor Covering? 9. Hello - I recently gutted my small 7’x8’ master bathroom down to the studs and subfloor. plywood underlayment instead of 3/4 in. My plan for the floor is to install 3/4” plywood underlayment on top of the existing diagonal wood plank subfloor and then eventually lay tile. A prime example: old homes that have been extensively remodeled. If you are installing solid hardwood or engineered wood, you may be putting down an underlayment of plywood. However, you're not out of the woods: Concrete expands and contracts, and that … subflooring, for a total plywood thickness of 1-1/4 in. Chad completed the subfloor repair by “nailing it off” and sealing the gaps at the pipe. Should You Install Flooring Before You Install Cabinets? 7/16. 4. 1. The Subfloor Is the Foundation of a Good Flooring Installation. Older homes may have solid hardwood flooring nailed directly on the joists—no subfloor. A piece of plywood can be purchased in 1/2″ or 3/4″ thickness, and most cement backer boards will be 1/4″, 1/2″, or 5/8″ thick. AdvanTech Subfloor Adhesive is fast and easy to install. For joist spans 19.2–24 inches, NWFA "Installation Guidelines" recommend a minimum panel thickness of 7⁄8-inch OSB or plywood; the minimum building code (which most builders build to) … Cracking and popping tiles are a sure sign that … 1/2. The A/C grade means that one side is finished smoothly while the other side is relatively rough (this is usually the … But one thing that this top—called the floor covering—does not have to do is to provide structural support. A subfloor is the layer at the very bottom of your shower pan. If the subfloor is smooth enough, an underlayment may not be needed for laminate. On wood-frame floors, the subflooring provides a continuous structural surface over the floor joists. Due to water damage, I need to level and replace the flooring. Cost $ Skill Level Start to Finish 1 Day. How to Choose the Right Subfloor Leveling Techniques, 4 Basement Subfloor Options For a Dry, Warm Floor Covering, Subfloor Heating Systems With Embedded Radiant Heating, Laminate Underlayment: What to Know Before Installation, Subfloor Systems: Eliminate Building a Subfloor From Scratch, How to Prepare a Vinyl or Linoleum Floor for Ceramic Tile, How to Choose the Best Underlayment for Laminate Flooring. As thick a ply as possible after strengthening the floor and then over boarded with a cement board. Before I put down the subfloor or after, do I need to treat the ply with anything? On the other hand, the floors sometimes have more than three layers.