How To Install Plywood Underlayment For Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring is usually not installed directly over the subfloor in residential applications.

How to install plywood underlayment for vinyl flooring.

Always use the fasteners and fastening pattern recommended by the vinyl floor and plywood manufacturer. Because you can install sheet vinyl over existing vinyl it offers the option of changing design without breaking the bank. Plywood underlayment is a thin plywood material that is most commonly used under resilient flooring materials such as vinyl and linoleum sheets and tiles. 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.

It s more important that the underlayment dampens sounds and feels comfortable. A floor underlayment is installed over a subfloor to provide a smooth surface onto which carpet hardwood vinyl or other finished flooring can be installed. In most cases 4 by 8 foot sheets of particle board or plywood must be installed in preparation for the vinyl floor install. Leave a 1 8 inch gap along the walls.

The most commonly used type of floor. When installing the new underlayment stagger the seams of the plywood panels and leave a 1 32 inch gap between panels to allow for expansion. Why people use underlayment people turn to underlayment for comfort underfoot sound reduction and moisture barriers. There s no need for a moisture barrier underlayment on plywood.