What is the difference between underlayment and plywood?

The subfloor is the structural plywood that is used during construction. It is usually a composite product such as OSB that is manufactured for its strength and engineered structural qualities. Plywood underlayment is the layer of plywood that is fastened over the structural subfloor.

Can plywood sheathing be used as underlayment?

Sturd-I-Floor is a combination subfloor-underlayment produced from OSB or plywood. These panels feature a built-in underlayment that allows the convenience of using only Sturd-I-Floor under certain finish flooring, especially carpet and pad.

What is the difference between plywood sheathing and subfloor?

Sub-floors are actually constructed of either OSB or plywood sheathing, and rest on floor joists. Sub-floors serve as structural platforms for your plywood underlayment and finished flooring. In essence, your finished floor is actually made up of three separate and distinct layers.

What do you use for underlayment?

It can be made of many different materials, chosen depending on the needs of the floor covering. Plywood, hardboard, and cement board are common choices, but sometimes the underlayment is simply a thin foam padding. 1.

Is underlayment and subfloor the same thing?

Basically, subfloors are a structural part of your home that provide strength and rigidity to your home's flooring. Underlays, on the other hand, protect your floor covering from moisture, help soundproof your floor, and offer cushioning and comfort underfoot. You can think of your floor like a sandwich cookie.

Subfloor VS. Underlayment Explained

What is the best material to use for a subfloor?

Plywood. Plywood is considered the most popular material used for subflooring, it has been used since the 1950s and remains one of the top choices for contractors. Standard plywood works perfectly fine as a subflooring material, but the best option is ¾” tongue-and-groove plywood subflooring.

What happens if you dont use underlayment?

Without underlayment to add a layer between these damp subfloors and the surface flooring, your laminate can quickly become wet, warped, and mildewy, harming its overall integrity. Moisture over time can also break down floor adhesive which causes the floor to start warping.

What type of plywood do I use for underlayment?

Poplar or Birch Plywood with a fully sanded face and exterior glue. Lauan Plywood, when used as an underlayment, should be Type 1 (Exterior). The best grade is BB and the next best is CC, while OVL (overlay grade) is the minimum acceptable face grade. There is a wide variety of quality and species classed as lauan.

What type of underlay is best?

The best type of underlay for carpet is PU foam. It is the best option due its many advantages over alternative types of underlay such as its strong heat insulation abilities and the soft underfoot it provides. However, sponge rubber is another solid option.

Do I need underlayment for laminate flooring on plywood?

So do we recommend an underlayment for laminate flooring on plywood? Yes, underlayment provides compression, sound absorption and insulation value. The moisture protection isn't really a concern unless it is above a crawl space.

Is it better to use OSB or plywood for subfloor?

OSB has a lower resale value than plywood due to its lower strength. For this reason, few homeowners prefer OSB in their homes. Apart from costs, plywood is superior in all the other areas, such as the strength of the structure. For this reason, it's a superior material for use on the subfloor.

What is the cheapest subfloor?

Rarely, a prospective homeowner may recognize that OSB is the cheaper subfloor material.

What is the best plywood to use for a subfloor?

Standard plywood can be used for subfloors, but a better material is 3/4-inch tongue-and-groove plywood subflooring. The tongue-and-groove edges interlock to resist movement along the panel edges and create an overall stiffer floor.

What thickness plywood should I use for flooring?

The National Wood Flooring Association recommends a minimum plywood panel thickness of 7/8-inch for joist spans of 19.2 to 24 inches, and a minimum plywood panel thickness of 5/8-inch for joist spans of 16 inches or less.

Do I need underlayment for vinyl flooring on plywood?

Plywood Subfloor

There's no need for a moisture barrier underlayment on plywood. It's more important that the underlayment dampens sounds and feels comfortable. An underlayment that offers more cushioning is Armstrong® Flooring Quiet Comfort™.

Does it matter what underlayment you use for laminate flooring?

Underlayment for laminate flooring is a must. Since laminate is a floating floor, it must be evenly distributed across your subfloor. Underlayment is what allows the floor to float, gives it stability, support, noise reduction, and supports the locking systems in between planks to assure the sturdiest flooring project.

Is underlayment necessary?

Underlayment is not optional. If your laminate planks don't have it already attached, we recommend that you buy rolls of underlayment on which to install your laminate floor.

Does underlayment have to be perfect?

Even new subflooring can be considered less than perfect since the OSB or plywood sheets are seamed. Solid hardwood or engineered wood can easily bridge small gaps, running directly over imperfections without the need for underlayment.

Does underlay make a difference?

Underlay adds a level of cushioning underneath your carpet, luxury vinyl, laminate or wood flooring making it much more comfortable to walk on. Underlay can also help reduce your energy bills as it traps heat under your floor, insulating the room and keeping it warm.

Do you nail or screw subfloor?

Ideally, nail down your subfloor using corrosion-resistant nails that will securely hold it in place and last a long time. Screws are a great alternative that you can easily remove, but they are not as sturdy. Screws are superior in terms of reducing floor squeaks, but the installation is slower.

How many layers of plywood do you need for a subfloor?

Whenever you use two layers of material to build up to the required minimum thickness of subfloor they both need to be nailed to the joists.

Should you glue underlayment to subfloor?

No, you should not glue down your underlayment. Underlayment is is a floating material, the same as your laminate flooring. In most cases, you should not glue or nail your underlayment down. You should always check with the installation instructions of the underlayment for proper installation instructions first.