Sub floor preparation

Like many building and renovation projects, preparation is the key to a successful and trouble free project.

Wood flooring installation is no exception and it is important that the sub floor is in good condition - not just the appearance on the surface but hidden properties such as stability and moisture content.

The quality and longevity of wood flooring will always relate to the quality of the sub floor - never be tempted to put solid or engineered wood flooring onto an inferior sub floor.

Where the level of floor is considered too uneven, then the floor must first be levelled using either a suitable self levelling compound or plywood board.

An old wooden floor should be nailed down if necessary to make sure it is solid. Better still use screws to secure it permanently and reduce floor squeak - but take care to avoid any hidden cables or pipe work.

If gluing the wood floor to the floorboards remove residues of varnish or other stains to avoid unwanted reactions with the adhesive.

Some adhesives and underlay will compensate for uneven floors. However, in circumstances where this is severe we recommend screwing down a thin ply across the whole floor area to give a good flat working sub floor.

Wooden flooring can be installed directly onto chipboard or similar particle based boards. However, the preference will always be for a plywood sheet construction - particularly for bonded wood floors. While the adhesive is unlikely to fail because it will adhere permanently to the sub floor, there is a risk that the individual pieces that make up the chipboard may break apart and hence cause the sub floor to fail.

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