Best Plywood To Use Under Hardwood Floor

Keep in mind that for mechanically fastened floors osb doesn t hold fasteners as well as plywood so you need to use a thicker material to get the same holding power.

Best plywood to use under hardwood floor. Plywood is a better option than laminate or hardwood flooring. Plastic foam felt cork and rubber are common choices. I am in the process of buying solid hardwood maple flooring 2 1 4 with 3 4 thickness i have been researching the web and have found numerous opinions pros and cons on the use of a proper underlayment. It can also be used under hardwood laminate and carpet but this is much less common these days because subflooring is typically smooth enough for these materials many of which are installed with a different type of underlayment or pad.

Some experts suggest that 15 32 inch plywood should be standard if the underlying floor joists are spaced 16 inches apart or less but slightly thicker 3 4 inch plywood should be used for joists spaced further apart. Plywood also comes with increased stability. Types of subfloors you can use under hardwood flooring june 11 2016 posted in. Look at the given solid hardwood flooring done with plywood planks beautiful packed spaced and glued together.

The key to a beautiful long lasting hardwood or laminate floor is a well prepared subfloor. However check with your local code authorities for the official recommendations. They offer soundproofing insulation a moisture barrier and added comfort while also helping to level out the subfloor. Plywood underlayment is a thin plywood material that is most commonly used under resilient flooring materials such as vinyl and linoleum sheets and tiles.

Usually manufactured in 4 by 8 foot sheets plywood panels and osb are acceptable subfloors for hardwood flooring as long as they are the proper thickness. Hence it can be the best alternative to hardwood flooring too. Most underlayment approved plywood is at least 11 32 inches the standard recommendation. Builders dealers framers when it comes to hardwood flooring the quality of the installation will be determined by the quality of many things including the choice of subflooring and the condition its in.

Do this by multiplying the room s length by its width. Some professionals however will use plywood as thin as 1 4 inch for resilient flooring if the subfloor is in particularly good condition. Before you install your plywood subfloor first calculate the room s square footage to find out how much flooring you ll need to buy.