Subfloor As Main Floor

In many older houses the pine subfloor was the only floor and it held up well.

Subfloor as main floor.

A subfloor is the bottom most structural level of your floor. In basements and in homes with slab on grade foundations the subfloor may simply be a concrete slab. As you walk across the floor the nails move in and out of the wooden joists causing the awful familiar sound of creaky floorboards. This method only measures subfloor thickness.

But combined with other methods that measure the finish floor you can get a fairly accurate reading of total floor thickness. Yes you can use pine subfloors as primary flooring. Normal spacing is 16 inches on center from center to center though some floors may have joists on 12 inch or 24 inch centers. Uncovered pine subflooring appeals to recycling enthusiasts as well as fans of distressed wood.

Subflooring is a structural layer and should not be confused with. Repair or replace damaged subflooring or it might not provide viable support as regular flooring. For more information download our pdf about types of subfloors. Preparation for installing floor tile depends on the type of subfloor in the room you are tiling.

Subfloors are essentially the important structural layers upon which the decorative flooring rests. Subfloors squeak when the nails connecting them to the joists are pulled loose. It is a very budget friendly update that will give the room a whole new look for the cost of a few gallons of primer and paint. If you notice squeaking throughout the entire room this could be a sign that the material has warped.

They serve to support the floor finishes and in some cases they include the layers that separate the main structural parts of the floor from decorative floor coverings. The subfloor is the foundation beneath finish flooring materials. The university of florida reports that plywood subfloors often separate when exposed to moisture causing areas to warp or buckle. If you have an older subfloor constructed of multiple slats rather than large sheets of plywood you can insert your straight edge between the slats.

As a result failing subfloors have movement sagging soft spots unequal levels separation and excessive squeaking. Sturd i floor is a specialized engineered wood structural panel expressly designed for single layer flooring installations on upper floors where carpet will be laid directly over the subfloor. Floor joists and subfloor floor joists spaced on regular intervals span the areas between supports such as walls foundations girders and beams. On wood frame floors the subflooring provides a continuous structural surface over the floor joists.

Drawbacks include a thinner less insulated floor and a less durable surface than other flooring types. The room smells musty.