| Individual boards or plywood panels make wood | | | | underlayment. |
| subfloors. Before it is covered with resilient | | | | While preparing a wood board subfloor it should be |
| flooring, both these have to undergo similar | | | | covered with 1/4-inch underlayment grade |
| preparations. You have to ensure that the surface | | | | plywood on hard board that is untempered and |
| is clean with each of these floors before you | | | | because most wood board subfloors, are , if not |
| apply any floor sealer. Before laying the resilient | | | | impossible, extremely difficult to smoothen and |
| flooring on the wood subfloor ensure that the | | | | level enough for a covering of resilient floor. The |
| subfloor is well suspended and well | | | | subfloor must be checked thoroughly and if |
| cross-ventilated from underneath to avoid the | | | | necessary repairs should be made before you |
| ill-effect of moisture. | | | | begin the task. The loose boards in the subfloor |
| It is a simple process to prepare a plywood | | | | must be renailed to make it as level as possible. |
| subfloor for new resilient flooring. Ensure that the | | | | You might have to replace those boards that are |
| panels are securely attached with annular ring nails | | | | bowed or badly cupped. You can smooth sand |
| or cement-coated nails and that the nailheads | | | | the boards that are not so misshapen. The |
| flush with the surface, if the subfloor is new. Use | | | | plywood and the hard board underlayment will |
| a wood putty for filling up of small indentations | | | | cover the minor indentations in the subfloor and |
| and gaps larger than the thickness of a dime | | | | they need not be repaired. Regardless of the fact |
| between panels ; you have to allow for thorough | | | | that whether you are installing a plywood or hard |
| dryness of the putty before sanding smooth. | | | | board underlayment it should be installed in 4 by 4 |
| While removing an old flooring and installing a new | | | | or 4 by 8 foot sheets whichever can be handled |
| one make sure that every bit of felt backing, | | | | easily. While installing the panels these three points |
| grout or any other material that is sticking to the | | | | must be borne in mind : |
| subfloor is totally removed. Use a wide bladed | | | | 1. To avoid having four corners meet, stagger the |
| putty knife to scrape loose these materials. For | | | | joints between the panels ; |
| removing stubborn particles of felt backing, a | | | | 2. A gap of a dime thickness should be left |
| solvent may be needed. | | | | between panels to allow the material to expand; |
| The old adhesive shouild be softened by heating it | | | | and |
| with a piece of iron. Better if the area is covered | | | | 3. Between walls and panels or baseboards a |
| with a piece of paper first to prevent the | | | | clearance of 1/8-inch should be allowed. |
| adhesive from sticking to the heated iron piece. If | | | | Fasten the panels down with 3-penny ring shank |
| the old floor is difficult to remove then lay a new | | | | or 4 - penny cement-coated nails spaced 3 inches |
| underlayment of plywood or untempered hard | | | | apart along the edges and 6 inches apart across |
| board which is at least 1/4 - inch thick and cover | | | | the face of each panel. Always start nailing in the |
| the old floor. The level of adjoining floors should | | | | center of each panel and work out toward the |
| be considered before you select a new | | | | edges. |