Installing 1 4 Underlayment Sheet Vinyl

Traditional hardwood flooring is 3 4 inch thick and carpet with pad is usually between 5 8 and 1 inch depending on the type.

Installing 1 4 underlayment sheet vinyl.

I have 3 4 durastrand subfloor and am installing 1 4 underlayment before the vinyl. That doesn t mean you don t need underlayment for sheet vinyl however. 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. For many years the standard option was lauan plywood also called philippine mahogany or luan plywood which is made with an inexpensive tropical hardwood and therein lies its problem.

Sheet vinyl however is only about 1 16 inch thick. I have installed one sheet so far and it was a lot quicker than my past jobs. Luan as underlayment luan is 1 4 inch thick and it comes in 4 by 8 sheets. Cement board thinset and tile add up to about 5 8 inch.

It typically comes in 4 x 8 foot sheets. Finish the sheet by fastening the remaining 8 edge 2 on center 1 2. It needs to be built up to the same elevation of the other flooring types in the house. Installation procedures and adhesives differ for each type of vinyl flooring and vary from one manufacturer to another so be sure to get instructions for the type of flooring you choose.

When it comes to installing a new flooring material you sometimes have the option of installing the underlayment for your new floor directly on top. If your subfloor had dips or damage it could show through the vinyl over time. There are several types of underlayment for this type of flooring and we ve seen brands with a thin layer of foam pre attached as well. Most plywood underlayment is about 1 4 inch thick and has square edges and a smooth knot free top face.

While luan provides a smooth surface on which to install vinyl it s not suitable for all types of vinyl flooring. We ve chosen to demonstrate installation of felt backed rotovinyl over a new layer of special 1 4 in. Laying underlayment over an existing flooring. Leave a 1 8 inch gap along the walls.

We recommend you use this method for installation under vinyl vinyl composite tile luxury vinyl tile ceramic tile carpet engineered flooring and wood floors.