Generally, laying carpet over plywood is a good idea. Plywood is strong and durable and works well as a subfloor for carpet. Wood underlayment is more comfortable to walk on than concrete or tile because it is flexible.
As a general rule, you can install vinyl flooring over plywood. In fact, it's recommended to put a ¼ inch (6 mm) layer of plywood on top of the subfloor you're installing the vinyl on to.
Plain plywood often is used as the subfloor in a home, and this subfloor usually is concealed with a more durable and attractive covering, such as wall-to-wall carpeting. You may achieve best results by hiring a professional to lay carpet over your plywood floor, but it is possible to lay carpet yourself.
Measure and cut a piece of plywood to fit into the opening. The plywood should be the same thickness as the original subflooring. Run a bead of carpenter's adhesive under the outside edge of the plywood. Set the patch in place.
If you can feel a soft spot in the floor under the carpet, the subfloor has likely been weakened or damaged. This isn't the same as having a floor squeak when you step on it, which simply indicates that the subfloor isn't tightly fastened to the floor joist in one area.
Plywood has been a standard subfloor material since the 1950s and remains the preferred subflooring for many builders. Standard plywood can be used for subfloors, but a better material is 3/4-inch tongue-and-groove plywood subflooring.
Carpeting: Either plywood or OSB is sufficient as a subfloor for carpeting.
But plywood's softer surface has a tendency to chip and dent, making the final application of a hard top coating vital to the success of your floor. Plywood floors are suitable for any room where you'd otherwise install hardwood, though kitchens and bathrooms are less desirable since frequent water spills are likely.
Use a spray adhesive to glue carpet to wood surfaces. From covering wood floors to concrete, carpeting is durable, requires minimum maintenance and is available in a variety of colors. When gluing carpet to wood, it is important to measure and cut the carpet before applying the glue.
You can easily install new laminate flooring on plywood floors in the form of planks by cutting them up to fit the floor and then laying them side by side. After that, you should jam them down in their joints until they make a 'click' sound that allows you to align them on your previous plywood floor perfectly.
Can I install vinyl flooring over wood, plywood, particleboard or chipboard? You can install vinyl over wood floors if you put a plywood subfloor on top of it. Do not install glue down or peel and stick products over particleboard, chipboard or any form of embossed floor.
When installing vinyl flooring over plywood, peel and stick tiles will bond to bare plywood, but you must ensure the plywood is secure and clean first. With the variety of peel and stick vinyl tiles available, This Old House points out, you can get creative designing floors with different patterns, colors and borders.
The type of fabric used on the bottom of the carpet strongly influences the need for a carpet underlay. If your carpet has a textile or latex backing , then an underlay is necessary in order to avoid uneven surfaces. Does your carpet have a felt or foam backing? Then there's no reason to consider a carpet underlay.
The minimum thickness of plywood for subflooring is about 5/8 inch. Since it does not hold fasteners as well as plywood, OSB must be a little thicker, or at least 23/32 inch. There are several factors that determine what subfloor thickness is optimal for added benefits like insulation.
A basement subfloor is a layer that is built below the floor covering (carpeting, laminate, etc.) and above the bottom-most floor, usually concrete. Subfloors are not always necessary but they are beneficial wherever they can be installed.
Plywood actually gets saturated much faster than osb, but it is not prone to edge swelling and it dries out much more quickly. On the plus side, osb is a more consistent product. It is truly an engineered material. You never have a soft spot in the panel because 2 knot holes overlap.
Glue is sprayed between each layer and the sheet is hot pressed. CDX plywood should be a minimum of 7/16 inch thick. The thicknesses are as follows: 7/16-, 15/32- and 1/2-inch-thick panels require joists spaced 16 inches on center; 19/32- and 5/8-inch-thick panels require joists spaced 20 inches on center.
Most carpet installers fix squeaky floors even after the carpet has been laid down. In many cases, carpet installers fix the squeaky floors even before installing the carpet. They check for all problems and make sure to resolve them before installing your carpets.