What is the best plywood for underlayment?
Poplar or Birch Plywood with a fully sanded face and exterior glue. Lauan Plywood, when used as an underlayment, should be Type 1 (Exterior). The best grade is BB and the next best is CC, while OVL (overlay grade) is the minimum acceptable face grade. There is a wide variety of quality and species classed as lauan.
Can you use 3/8 plywood floor?
It’ll be the subfloor/joists connection. 3/8″ underlayment isn’t structural, and so adding a bunch of screws isn’t gonna help make the floor much stiffer.
Does it matter which way you lay plywood?
Ply should always be laid with the grain running across the joists, not along the joist, to maximise the strength. Laying them length ways down a joist will cause them to crack along the grain which could end up in serious injury and or damage. The smaller the gap between joists the stronger the board will be.
What thickness of plywood should you use for a subfloor?
about 5/8 inch
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.
What thickness of subfloor should I use?
The recommended thickness of the plywood subfloor is governed by the spacing of the joists. Some experts suggest that 15/32-inch plywood should be standard if the underlying floor joists are spaced 16 inches apart or less, but slightly thicker 3/4-inch plywood should be used for joists spaced further apart.
Which way does plywood underlayment?
Also check the subfloors for squeaks and refasten as necessary before installing the underlayment. Install plywood underlayment smooth side up. To avoid damage to the surface, install underlayment immediately before laying the finish flooring.
What thickness should subfloor be?
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.