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.
- Install a full sheet of plywood along the longest wall; make
sure underlayment seams are not aligned with subfloor seams.
- 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
- Continue fastening sheets of plywood down; drive screw heads
slightly below the surface.
- Use a jig or circular saw to notch plywood so that it meets
existing flooring in doorways.
- Using a wallboard knife, spread floor patching compound with
a latex additive over seams and screw heads.
- Once the compound dries, sand the patched areas using an electric
sander.
Getting the Right Help
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project.
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