Jeff from Home Renovation DIY shares his expertise on preparing a floor for luxury vinyl plank or laminate flooring. He emphasizes the importance of a clean and strong substrate, as floating floors rely on this for stability.
Jeff provides several tips and tricks, including:
1. Screwing down the floor: If a floor has nails, add a screw next to each nail to tighten the floor and avoid squeaks.
2. Leveling the floor: Use a floor leveler to ensure the floor is even, especially if installing appliances or heavy furniture.
3. Inspecting the surface: Check for carpet staples and other objects that could interfere with the flooring installation.
4. Using a primer: Apply a primer to the floor to create a good bond with the floor leveler and prevent cracking.
5. Mixing and applying floor leveler: Follow the instructions for mixing the floor leveler, and apply it in layers, using a trowel to smooth out any ridges.
Jeff also highlights the importance of allowing the floor leveler to dry completely before installing the flooring. He recommends using a fan to speed up the process. Finally, he suggests sanding the finished floor to create a smooth surface for installing appliances, cabinets, or other finishes.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. Laminate and vinyl flooring are types of floating floors that are not attached to the subfloor.
2. Preparing the subfloor is crucial for installing floating floors.
3. The subfloor must be super clean and strong to support the weight of the floating floor.
4. Most homes have nail-based subfloors, which require additional screws to secure the floor.
5. Newer homes may have screw-based subfloors, which don't require additional screws.
6. Concrete or slab-on-grade homes don't require screws or nails to secure the subfloor.
7. To prepare a wooden subfloor, it's necessary to screw down the floor to prevent squeaking.
8. Deflection occurs when the weight of a person causes the wood to lift between floor joists, leading to squeaking.
9. Adding screws next to nails can help prevent deflection and squeaking.
10. If the subfloor is uneven, it may be necessary to use a floor leveler to create a level surface.
11. Floor levelers can only be applied in thin layers, typically up to 1/4 inch at a time.
12. The primer used with floor levelers helps create a strong bond between the leveler and the subfloor.
13. The primer also helps prevent the leveler from cracking.
14. It's not necessary to wash the subfloor before applying floor leveler, unlike with tile work.
15. A slow mixer is recommended for mixing floor leveler to prevent creating a sloppy mess.
16. Floor leveler can be mixed in small batches, typically 2-3 liters of water per half-bag of leveler.
17. The mixed leveler should be poured out in layers and allowed to flow and self-level.
18. A trowel can be used to smooth out the leveler and create a smooth surface.
19. The leveler can be sanded to create an even smoother surface, typically with an 80-grit sandpaper.
20. Leveling the subfloor before installing flooring can make the installation process easier and more successful.