Subfloor As Main Floor

Subflooring is a structural layer and should not be confused with.

Subfloor as main floor.

If you want new flooring but can t afford it don t fret. The subfloor is the foundation beneath finish flooring materials. A subfloor is the bottom most structural level of your floor. On wood frame floors the subflooring provides a continuous structural surface over the floor joists.

Subfloors squeak when the nails connecting them to the joists are pulled loose. 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. Drawbacks include a thinner less insulated floor and a less durable surface than other flooring types.

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. It supports your decorative floor finish whether it s carpet hardwood vinyl laminate or tile. But combined with other methods that measure the finish floor you can get a fairly accurate reading of total floor thickness. The university of florida reports that plywood subfloors often separate when exposed to moisture causing areas to warp or buckle.

You can still get a new look for the floor when you rip up the carpet and paint the plywood sub floor. This method only measures subfloor thickness. 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. As you walk across the floor the nails move in and out of the wooden joists causing the awful familiar sound of creaky floorboards.

Floor joists and subfloor floor joists spaced on regular intervals span the areas between supports such as walls foundations girders and beams. Normal spacing is 16 inches on center from center to center though some floors may have joists on 12 inch or 24 inch centers. For more information download our pdf about types of subfloors. Yes you can use pine subfloors as primary flooring.

In many older houses the pine subfloor was the only floor and it held up well. Uncovered pine subflooring appeals to recycling enthusiasts as well as fans of distressed wood. In basements and in homes with slab on grade foundations the subfloor may simply be a concrete slab. If you notice squeaking throughout the entire room this could be a sign that the material has warped.

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. Repair or replace damaged subflooring or it might not provide viable support as regular flooring.