Subfloor Over Laminate Flooring

If the existing subfloor is in poor condition you will need to add a secondary underlayment of thin plywood over the subfloor.

Subfloor over laminate flooring.

The concrete subfloor must be sufficiently strong to safely support the flooring furniture and people in the room. It s a bit confusing but a flat floor can still be slightly out of level and still create a good foundation for a long lasting floor installation. As with hardwood laminate flooring is best installed on a 3 4 inch thick plywood subfloor. A breathable foam type underlayment is generally used when installing laminate flooring over plywood or osb subfloors.

To level a subfloor for installing laminate follow the directions above to remove high and low spots. Remember that laminate flooring like swiss krono usa s laminate wood flooring is a floating floor it will expand and contract as temperature and other conditions change. This means that the choice of subfloor i e what you install laminate over needs to provide the right support. Laminate flooring which can only be installed using the floating method can be installed over a plywood subfloor over the recommended foam pad.

Even with a brick. Laminate planks snap together and float above a subfloor which means tiny subfloor imperfections are okay although again a level subfloor will help prevent damage. Check for cracks and crumbling. There s absolutely no problem laying a laminate floor over osb provided you take all the moisture preventative steps you would take for a plywood subfloor.

Inspect the moisture level check the moisture level of the subflooring using a moisture meter. Laminate flooring on an uneven subfloor can cause problems and needs to be addressed. In most cases you will not want to use a vapor barrier type underlayment when installing laminates on a standard plywood subfloor because wood is a natural material that needs to breathe installing a vapor barrier over this can cause moisture to become. A floating floor laminate or locking hardwood shouldn t be installed over a wood subfloor that s adhered to a concrete slab.

Wood and concrete are the idea subfloors. The floor can have an unlevel subfloor and still have a base for a nice laminate floor. Laminate is a fairly thin material and is not forgiving when it comes to grooves dents and ridges. If you have a weak subfloor that flexes up and down when walked on i would recommended adding an additional layer of 3 8 or 1 2 inch thick plywood underlayment glued and screwed down over a 5 8 or.

If you have a subfloor that consists of wood on top of concrete you ll need to test both floors.