DIY Home Improvement; Selecting the Right Underlayment for your New Floor

If you are one of the many DIY home improvement handymen preparing to install new floor covering, there is something you should know. In order to do the job right, different types of floor covering require different types of underlayment. Be sure you select the right material for your new floor type.

For example, if you install wood floor or carpeting, a special underlayment isn’t usually required. But, if you install slate floor or another natural stone, the plywood subfloor should be covered with an underlayment that can withstand moisture.

Types of Underlayment

The following are types of underlayment:

• Cementboard – used exclusively for ceramic tile or natural stone floor installation. It withstands moisture and is the best choice for areas such as the bathroom, where dampness is a concern.
• Cement fiber board – used under ceramic tile and vinyl floor covering. As a thin, high-density type underlayment, it is a good choice when floor height is an issue.
• Isolation membrane – used to protect ceramic tile from movement than can occur on concrete floors with cracks. Used primarily to cover individual cracks; it can also be used to cover entire floor. Also available in liquid form.
• Plywood – the same material used for subfloor. However because low-quality plywood is most often used for the subfloor, a high-grade plywood underlayment is sometimes required for certain types of flooring – such as vinyl floor.

If installing vinyl floor covering is part of your DIY home improvement project, install ¼-inch quality-grade AC plywood as an underlayment. First because exterior grade AC plywood has at least one perfectly smooth side. Secondly because many manufacturer warrantees are voided if the flooring has been installed over substandard underlayment.

Renovation Tip

When a plywood underlayment is required, follow the steps below. Be sure and leave ¼-inch expansion gaps at the walls and between sheets, and offset seams of subsequent rows.

1. Install a full sheet of plywood along the longest wall; make sure underlayment seams are not aligned with subfloor seams.
2. Fasten the plywood down using 1-inch deck screws; place screws every 6-inches along the edges, and at 8-inch intervals across the sheet
3. Continue fastening sheets of plywood down; drive screw heads slightly below the surface.
4. Use a jig or circular saw to notch plywood so that it meets existing flooring in doorways.
5. Using a wallboard knife, spread floor patching compound with a latex additive over seams and screw heads.
6. Once the compound dries, sand the patched areas using an electric sander.

Getting the Right Help

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