Position sureply plywood underlayment panels 1 8 to 1 4 from the walls to allow for expansion.
Installing 1 4 underlayment sheet vinyl.
Finish the sheet by fastening the remaining 8 edge 2 on center 1 2.
We recommend you use this method for installation under vinyl vinyl composite tile luxury vinyl tile ceramic tile carpet engineered flooring and wood floors.
It typically comes in 4 x 8 foot sheets.
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.
Cement board thinset and tile add up to about 5 8 inch.
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.
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.
While luan provides a smooth surface on which to install vinyl it s not suitable for all types of vinyl flooring.
Traditional hardwood flooring is 3 4 inch thick and carpet with pad is usually between 5 8 and 1 inch depending on the type.
Luan as underlayment luan is 1 4 inch thick and it comes in 4 by 8 sheets.
That doesn t mean you don t need underlayment for sheet vinyl however.
Most plywood underlayment is about 1 4 inch thick and has square edges and a smooth knot free top face.
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.
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.
I have installed one sheet so far and it was a lot quicker than my past jobs.
Laying underlayment over an existing flooring.
Always use the fasteners and fastening pattern recommended by the vinyl floor and plywood manufacturer.
Sheet vinyl however is only about 1 16 inch thick.
It needs to be built up to the same elevation of the other flooring types in the house.
We ve chosen to demonstrate installation of felt backed rotovinyl over a new layer of special 1 4 in.
Leave a 1 8 inch gap along the walls.