LVT underlayment - lauan vs 1/4" plywood?
Chessie
5 years ago
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millworkman
5 years agoChessie
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Do I Really Need 2 Underlayment sub floors?
Comments (8)Thank you for your help. The floor is in and it looks great. They did put in a second sub floor to "raise" the floor up but it was not maple. I was not home so I'm not really sure just what it was. Anyway the new floor is down and it looks just great! I really appreciate the info from everyone on this forum. My next project is rectified tile in my foyer so I've been reading posts about that. It is so awesome to have the expertise of those who contribute so much. I do wish I could hire Bill V or floorguy because your work is fantastic. Thanks again for the help with my projects....See MoreGranite Countertops, 3/4" or 1 1/4" thick ?
Comments (10)Are you talking about using either 2 cm or 3 cm slabs? I've never actually seen them measured in inches. Presuming that's what you mean, there are a lot of threads on that topic here. Type "2 cm vs 3 cm granite site:gardenweb.com" into your search engine and you'll turn some up. The bottom line is that you can use either for your islands. The 2 cm slabs are placed with a plywood underlayment and generally have another 2 cm strip of granite laminated onto the edge to give a nice edge finish and cover up the plywood. 3 cm slabs don't need an underlayment and have a nice fat edge for finishing built in. 2 cm slabs are more popular (i.e. more available) on the west coast and 3 cm more popular on the east coast, but that is not a universal comment on availability. I live on the west coast and I have 3 cm granite. Functionally you can go either way and be comfortable about your decision. When you're looking at costs, be sure to factor in the extra fabrication expense for the laminated edge and the extra expense of fabricating a stone that eats up the fabricator's saw blades like the really hard quartzites....See MorePLEASE help with preparing wood floor for LVT
Comments (18)Rigid sheathing over the patch should do just fine. The height difference in the two floors isn't something you can help. If you feel that it is worth the effort and the price, you can ask him to stop and REMOVE the top layer of subfloor. Then ask him to REPLACE IT with NEW plywood. This will NOT change the roller-coaster waviness of the surface. That is inherent in the house. It will simply give you smooth "new" while keeping the two floor heights as close to even as possible. If the height variation upsets you, then you have two options: choose sheet material like sheet vinyl or sheet linoleum or rip out and rebuild the entire kitchen floor and *possibly the entire main level. My suspicion is the KITCHEN floor was raised to meet/match the other flooring. If that is the case, it is possible to remove the current plywood and then drop in slightly THINNER plywood. Again....this all hangs on the question as to whether or not the kitchen subfloor was raised to meet the other flooring. You are not allowed to go "too thin" with a subfloor. Most industry standards require (depending on where you live and how old the house is) TWO layers of subfloor that equal or exceed 3/4" total thickness. Sigh. It might be possible to drop the kitchen subfloor a snick. But the amount of money and effort it will take could be a deal breaker. It should have/would have been talked about BEFORE he started patching. And I mean WAAAAAAAY before he started patching. Like several WEEKS before he stepped on site. This would have been discussed because you would have CHOSEN your floor and discovered the difference and would have raised the possibility at the time. It's not too late...but then again you don't want to see his face after you tell him to rip out his work and start again...with new plywood, etc....See MoreWaterproof underlayment for LVP over concrete basement floor
Comments (7)If you are concerned about the possibility of mold/mildew, then the most effective thing to do is fix the concrete so that it doesn't have a problem. You could spend $2-$4/sf on materials (such as DriCore) only to have a damp slab underneath. Which means the potential for mold is STILL THERE. Or you can fix the problem at its source: seal the entire slab properly. That means shot blasting, etc. Which isn't much more money per square foot than the $4/sf for the EXPENSIVE DriCore. And if you read DriCore's website, they will require a 6mil vapour barrier UNDERNEATH their panels if the hydrostatic pressure is higher than 'x' lbs/1000sf. That's for the 'regular' DriCore. To get away from this requirement you have to use the HIGH PRICED foam panels. And then you have to purchase OSB/Plywood to go over top of the foam panels....etc. Industry Standard means just that. The industry (flooring) recognises that slabs almost always contain moisture. The control of that moisture is up to the homeowner...but the flooring professional can take steps to ensure the product THEY are installing will have the best chance of being successful in that space. That means stopping moisture from 'hitting' or reaching the floor above. What happens underneath the vapour barrier is up to the homeowner to deal with...because the homeowner is ultimately responsible for his/her cement slab. The professional has done his/her job by using the industry's regularly used product such as 6mil poly sheeting. Again, if mold/mildew are your concern (and it should be) then the 'fix' is not going to be some panels sitting 1/2" higher than the concrete. The fix is going to be the professional sealing of the slab. Shot blasting is a b!tch! The epoxy sealants are a b!tch to work with. The primer is noxious and the microtopping is a nightmare. Which is why it is best to leave the sealing of slabs to the professionals....See MoreChessie
5 years agogeoffrey_b
5 years agoChessie
5 years agogeoffrey_b
5 years agoChessie
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoUpward Flooring LLC
5 years agoChessie
5 years agoSandra Harwell
2 years agomillworkman
2 years ago
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