We are putting hardwood in our master bedroom and need to level the subfloor. After a quick search on here I couldn’t find what was needed, but I am hoping you will help us out.
Right now, the floor is stripped down to bare chipboard. It has high spots and low spot, adn we want a long-lasting, squeak-free floor.
We have been told by different people in different places to:
- Put asphalt shingles in the low spots adn install the hardwood directly on the chipboard
- put down levelling compound in the low spots and install the hardwood directly on the chipboard
- put a layer of plywood over the entire floor and install the hardwood directly over it.
- Put levelling compound in the low spots, then plywood over the entire floor, then install the hardwood on the plywood
- put dry sand in the low spots, then plywood over the entire floor, then the hardwood
ANyone have advice? Apparently the hardwood is to give the nails something to hold to. I think the sand idea sounds cool (and cheap), but I don’t know if it would really work.
Your input is appreciated.
Replies
Let me say first that there are many here with more flooring experience than I. With that said, and without knowing any more about your situation, my vote would be for option 4 (level, then plywood, then finish floor).
BUT, you need to consider the extra height you'll be getting if you add plywood and hardwood. Will you need to trim doors? What do you have for baseboard? Are you laying real hardwood or engineered?
The shingle and sand solutions make me laugh... Creative, no doubt, and no doubt someone has done them both, but not what I would do.
How much difference is there between the highs and lows?
Most floors have some dips and peaks; unless you pull a line, most aren't noticable.
If it's not too bad, I'd sand off the worst of the highs, and use 30# tarpaper to fill the worst of the lows.
Thank-you all for your replies. The floor's rise and fall was noticeable before we pulled up the carpet. There are spots where the joints of 2 sheets of subfloor are different heights, and there are hills and valleys across the floor. We will be installing 3/4" solid White Oak strip hardwood.
The chipboard is the only subfloor. Beneath it there is just the joists and ceiling of the room below. I was going to get levelling compound yesterday, and was given some bizarre advice by the clerk at the store, so I thought I'd check in here.
It would be nice to be able to tear out the subfloor, but time and budget are restraints. I think we will sand down the highs, and use the levelling compound to fill the low spots. Hopefully by laying the plywood over the compound, shattering the compound when nailing etc. won't be a problem.
Finally, is 3/8 plywood enough for the nails to grab into, or do we need something beefier? As was pointed out, we will need to trim the doors (Actually we are buying new ones) and doorframes. Also I'd rather not have huge differences in floor height at the thresholds.
Edited 5/24/2006 6:59 am ET by Star
How old is this place???
Why is the floor so bad???
1) Shoot the "builder"
B) rent sander and sand off the ridges
III) put down some 5/8 or 3/4 ply screwed and glued w/ seams stager from old
Mr. T.
The Emperor has NO clothes!!!
the emporer has no closet...
the emporer has no clue...
the emporer needs someone to tie his shoes..
the emporer doesn't care about polls (they can be fixed)
Thanks T.
Thats what I'm going to do. (Sand, level, glue & screw)
The house was built in 1986. It is not quality work, but the price was right. Sweat pays.
Thanks again.
you are going to end up with an unacceptably large transition between the hall/master bedroom and the master bedroom/master bath. your baseboard will also be 1" high after 3/4 ply, 3/4 floor, 3/4 shoe unless you remove and reset it or install new. sand down any high spots, use leveling compound on the lows, paper, wood floor. you should still remove the base regardless of what you do with the subfloor so that you can go without shoe."the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. one should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise."- f. scott fitzgerald
I recommend you reconsider taking out the subfloor. Just accept the additional cost in time and flooring, and you will be glad you did.
Starting at the center of the room, I would remove the subfloor in 4' wide strips the length of the room, parallel to the floor joists. Work across to one side of the room, and then do the other side. With a good nail puller, you should be able to save most of the subfloor. The little estwing nail pullers are nice, and very easy to use if you put a piece of black pipe over the handle to increase the leverage. (Wear eye protection as the nails can come flying out.)
Next run a mason's string from one end of each joist to the other. Use the string to determine the width of some shims which can be cut from 2X material on a table saw. Be careful doing this. It is best to cut the shim to width first, from a board that is long enough to keep your hands away from the blade. Don't make the shims too thick! Make them thin enough so they do not touch the string, and then nail them on top of a layer of construction adhesive. Work your way across the floor until the whole thing is done, without falling through:).
If you find high spots, you can plane the tops of the joist a bit, although this should not be much of a problem.
Glue and screw down the subfloor as you have room, and worry about transitions after you are done. Your first priority is a level floor. There are easy solutions to handling transitions.
Befor you do this job, run a string at each end of the room perpendicular to the floor joists to determine if you will have a problem with high spots.
You should easily be able to do a room in one day.
tear up the chip board unless it is all you have as a subfloor
renail or screw sub-subfloor.
if subsub is in good condition lay hard wood over it.
if not glue and screw another layer of ply over it.
Mr. T.
The Emperor has NO clothes!!!
the emporer has no closet...
the emporer has no clue...
the emporer needs someone to tie his shoes..
the emporer doesn't care about polls (they can be fixed)
if U can install hardwood ...
U certainly can install subfloor.
do it right. Cut out the chipboard and put down a suitable subfloor ... 3/4ply or better. Cut the existing out in 4'x8' pieces ... work one new sheet at a time if it makes ya feel more comfortable.
run the circular saw as close to the wall as possible ... after pulling the old baseboard. then work out from there. Not that hard at all.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa