The wooden subfloor should be completely smooth before installing a new floor. OSB is a composite of glue and strips of scrap wood, in sheets 4 feet wide and 8 or 12 feet long. In fact, with a 'careful touch' using very long tapered wedges, it is the best approach for removing hardwood flooring for salvage, preservation and re-use because tongue and groove edges are preserved with the forceful—yet gradual—lifting generated by the wedges. To remove the linoleum and subfloor together, drill a hole through the floor to determine how thick the plywood is. Should that joint be off by only an inch, over time foot traffic will cause the end of the sheet to sink. Peroxide, dish soap and baking soda. Ironically, on this job the underlayment was attached to the subfloor WAY better than the subfloor was attached to the floor joists. There’s also a chance that your subfloor suffered water damage and has since dried itself out. Stop the leak before you get started. Then we will be screwing down 3/4" t&g plywood. Subflooring can last a very long time. 5. Squeaking occurs when the wood in your subfloor rubs against a nail. In the case of a dry subfloor with cracking tiles, it’s almost certain that you’ll need to remove the tile to come to a resolution. If the water damage has been occurring for a while and there are signs of flaking wood or mold, the only option may be to replace the affected section of subflooring. Copyright © 2020 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. How To Remove Hardwood Flooring. There’s a process that needs to be adhered to, so once you’ve identified the source, repair it before beginning any work on your floor. First, set the blade depth on your circular saw. Often, it’s so typical that it goes completely unnoticed. Also, keep the cut as square to the joists as possible—this will save you a headache in the next step. Should this be the case, a homeowner might need to peel back the layers of flooring and get to work. If you have the ability, the easiest thing to do is to get a look at your subfloor from underneath. Fixing the floor before fixing the moisture issue is like putting the cart before the horse. Some joists had only a hinky dab of 35 year-old construction adhesive and NO fasteners. Continue with additional wedges for difficult conditions. Make sure to remove stray nails or staples. Mop up all the standing water. When subfloors are installed, any end-to-end joints between boards or sheets are supposed to meet on top of a floor joist. need opinions on old plank sub-floors. What doesn't show up is that the subfloor was attached with just five 1/2" crown staples in each joist (!). How to do it: Cut enough wedges out of dense 2x4's with minimal knots to space them out at 12 inch to 18 inch intervals along the edge of subfloor being removed. Can I install a new floor covering over old adhesive residue? By Tom Scalisi and Bob Vila. Clearly, water is a floor’s mortal enemy. Pull any remaining nails from the salvaged wood using large locking pliers, then carefully patrol the … Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. While moisture can certainly be the suspect, it’s also common to find that the wrong material was used for the subfloor. Pull up any transition strips, or the strips often found in the doorway(s) to a room covering seams in … Both are important components of flooring that have very different uses. Should that subfloor begin to warp or twist (especially common in softwood subfloors), nails will begin to work themselves loose from the joists and those squeaks will begin to speak up. OSB is fast to install and less expensive than real wood or plywood, making it the go-to material for modern subfloors. If there was a leaking drain in the wall or a leaky sink nearby, or if there was a section of the roof that was leaking during the last storm, your subfloor might’ve taken on some water, and it’s time to investigate the extent of the damage. If it is attached to the joists, you can use the 1 ⁄ 4 -in. When the hammer and prybar weren't tough enough to tear up the glued and screwed 3/4 inch A/C plywood underlayment, I moved to 'Plan B.' Blot dry after a few minutes. If the subfloor is plywood or particle board, start by screwing down any loose boards or plywood sheets. Use short and swift strokes in order to apply some force in removing the stubborn glue. And as you can see at the end of the video the subfloor was seriously compromised when the underlayment peeled up two and three layers top layers of veneer. Drive some screws through the joists and into the ends of the new board you’re installing. structural plank subfloors; concrete; and heated floors. The crawlspace below the bathroom is essentially inaccessible, unfit for man or beast (although it is quite fit for various vermin and pestilence) so I knew I'd have to cut access holes in the subfloor which meant first removing the tile and underlayment. Consume copious quantities of Wheaties, Red Bull or biscuits and gravy to carbo-load appropriately for the task ahead. If a floor begins to sink between floor joists, it’s a sure sign that there is an issue. Use a forward-downward motion to get as much adhesive as possible off the subflooring. Old woods can be recycled. Suppose that one had subfloor boards that are 8" wide and place finished flooring 2 1/4" wide on the subfloor board. Is there evidence of mold? Start by removing the finished floor (hardwood flooring may be reusable once it dries, so be careful in the removal... Assess the damage and cut around it, then remove the damaged subfloor. The subfloor was boards of various widths and species that were not suitable for finish lumber-- to be painted or stained. This is commonly caused by moisture issues deteriorating the wood, but it can also be caused by improper installation. Set the saw blade to cut just 1/8 inch deeper and cut away a section of flooring on one side of the room. It is amazing how effective this simple process is for the toughest jobs! Contractor is trying to talk me into replacing the existing diagonal plank subfloor from when the house was built in 1950. Cut enough wedges out of dense 2x4's with minimal knots to space them out at 12 inch to 18 inch intervals along the edge of subfloor being removed. 2. Tool Review: 110V Jobsite Board Stretcher, 5 Step Waterproofing System: Best Practices for Tile Showers, How to Remove a (really) Difficult Subfloor, Building Resilience (2): Design and Demolition Strategy, The Model: Remodel Show — A Quick Take Down, Winter Work Gloves from Milwaukee for Demolition and Construction, The Model Remodel Show: Little Home in Northwest CT, Building Resilience: Doubling a Spanish Colonial in Minneapolis, MN. As it turned out if I'd just popped up the tile by the time I got done cutting holes for relocating the plumbing the floor would have looked like a plywood quilt and I would have gone through all the same steps anyway—which, considering how tough the job turned out to be, is good to know that the time, effort, and expense was not wasted. Cupping occurs when hardwood floorboards begin to curl along the length of the board, somewhat like a taco shell but less pronounced. A 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution** .**. If that’s the case, the subfloor might be fine as far as mold and moisture are concerned but still feel a little soft. Clean up any remaining screws and adhesive using a broom and shop vac. Lower the piece of subfloor you just cut into the opening, screwing it into the joists below. Use the appropriate screwdriver or drill equipped with a screwdriver bit to remove all the screws. Peel back or remove any carpet or floor coverings. Long enough for the material to begin to deteriorate? Since ceramic tile started to replace linoleum as bathroom and kitchen floor covering 20-25 years ago, many remodeling projects I encounter these days involve tearing up out-of-date ceramic tile. The majority of the subfloor is in good shape and sturdy. Once the underlayment is gone, remove any adhesive with the flat edge of the flat shovel or a carpet scraper for large areas and a scraper or chisel and hammer for smaller areas. Use a cordless impact driver to remove all the screws holding down the ¼-inch plywood underlayment. plywood to establish a flat surface and separate the two hardwood surfaces to avoid the expansion and contraction differences between the two hardwoods. Do not use bleaches, as they cause damages to the subfloor, especially to concrete. When you replace the subfloor, the new ends have to sit on the joists, so cut out your wet subfloor along two joists on either side of the damage. Use hot water and soap or buy some special chemical solvent for glue removal. Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. Underneath the hardwood, laminate, tile, or carpet lies the subfloor, and it’s a component that only gets attention during a full-scale renovation or a full-blown problem. You can also soak affected subflooring with a brush broom. Make sure to get all of the damaged or moldy subfloor to prevent it from coming back. Is it necessary to replace the subfloor or is it a money grab? End product should look like this, ready for a well supported subfloor: Ditra install guideline (they guarantee replacement if tiles crack so they'll give safe numbers) bottom of page 7 for your setup: The oldest type of wood subflooring used in homes is made from lumber and is known as wood-plank subflooring. If you have water damage, the cause of the water has to be resolved before taking any steps toward fixing the floor. If it comes up far enough, slip the putty knife underneath it and pry the tile or plank completely off. If this is for a tile floor, this is the point that you’ll want to screw down the. Tom Scalisi, Bob Vila, 11 Indoor Gardening Projects Absolutely Anyone Can Do, 10 Ways to Furnish Your Home at Target for Under $50, 17 Creative Ways to Reuse Cardboard Boxes. Under normal conditions, a subfloor can last as long as the house itself. Clear the floor and remove all boards from the room. I don't know if the black stuff is tarpaper or mastic from the old days. Start exposing the floor to fresh air by removing any rugs or furniture. IN GENERAL: ensure subfloor panels are level and properly fastened to the joists. Start by removing the finished floor (hardwood flooring may be reusable once it dries, so be careful in the removal process) and exposing the subfloor. Here are five signs it’s time to replace a subfloor. Test fit it in the hole to be sure that the ends meet on a set of joists. Plan B is pretty straightforward: cut a batch of long, tapered 'wedges' from 2x4's to drive under the subfloor with a small sledgehammer. Cracking and popping tiles are a sure sign that something isn’t right. You'll need more wedges with a longer taper for the toughest jobs, fewer wedges with shorter tapers for easier tear-ups. If you’ve got a plank sub floor and are looking to install a new wooden floor, then you’re highly to be debating the pros and cons of laying your new floor directly on the old plank sub floor, or introducing a layer of ply. Screw the subfloor material down to the new joist, and say goodbye to that bounce and squeak. Removing Subfloor Mold. This will add all the structure necessary to stiffen up the subfloor. Regardless of the reason, cracking and popping tiles are a sign that something’s going on with the subfloor beneath. For vinyl plank flooring or vinyl tile flooring, pry up a corner of one of the tiles with a putty knife. Calculate prices per square foot for plywood, DRIcore, Amdry, Tyroc, Barricade and more. A quick inspection of your subfloor might reveal all there is to know about your problem, and the least invasive method is usually best. Our flooring is about 3/4 inches thick, so I set the blade depth about 3/4 inches deep, so that the blade cut through the hardwood floors, without cutting into the plywood subfloor. If your floor is starting to sound like the Tin Man without his oil can, however, it might require some attention. Subfloor vs. Underlayment: Definitions and Purposes. —Matt Jackson is a master carpenter, remodeler, SketchUp Wiz, YouTuber, and contributing editor to ProTradeCraft. This method can be adapted for a wide range of applications; it is excellent for removing hardwood flooring, for example. On the project featured here it turned out that the tile was firmly stuck to the underlayment plus the 3/4" thick underlayment was thoroughly glued and screwed down to the subfloor. Using some construction adhesive like Loctite PL Premium (. When installing new resilient tile such as Premium EXCELON VCT and Standard EXCELON VCT, Armstrong Flooring allows the use of S-89, S-515, S-700 and S-750 Resilient Tile Adhesives over old adhesive residue as long as the adhesive residue has no ridges or puddles evident and what remains is a thin, smooth film.