As a landscape builder, he helped establish two gardening companies. Spanning over several joists is must stronger than spanning basically over one joist. Advantech looks akin OSB, but it is OSB on steroids. Question on #1: Since we’re hitting the centers of joists on both sides, is that not considered spanning 3 joists? Span rated OSB (or plywood) is typically applied perpendicular to the joists, again for span rating (load rating). I've learned on this forum and elsewhere recently that it is possible to use sand to flatten subfloor in preparation for installing floating floor. Unlike a concrete subfloor, you can usually knock down high spots on a wood subfloor by sanding, and you can always fill depressions with patching compound. Before you lay any type of flooring, the subfloor should be flat, and if it's plywood, one way to flatten it is to sand it. Over time it’s also possible that 5/8″ plywood running parallel instead of perpendicular could sag but again, probably not that big of a deal. As referenced in OSB-4004 and APA Subfloor Preparation Guide (V440), builders may find it advantageous to remove this slight ridging by sanding along the panel edges. Watch my Family take on the task of painting our plywood subfloor in our new house. I may have to live with this floor for an indeterminate period of time, maybe years. It gives information on the subfloor situation covered in this article, and the steps required to level a subfloor without taking up the existing subflooring material. We also checked the floor for level to make sure our work was good. Installing 3/4 hardwood on all of the lower level. On #4 – No Doubt – I’ll add this in (we forgot to do this as it was 10:30pm at night when this piece finished up!). Step 1: Locate the centers of the joists on either side of the offending joist and mark these on the floor using chalk line. Depending on how bad the mold damage is will dictate how time consuming and arduous the task of cleaning up. Sand the entire floor. We were able to cut this wood to fit between the joists and drag it along the surface. Use only medium to fine sandpaper grit so you don’t sand too much off your wood subfloor. All is flat except dining room. Use a palm sander and the same grit of sandpaper to sand any areas of the floor you can't reach with the flooring sander. They can be an allergen for some people. On #3 – this room is getting the 3/8″ plywood, and 3/4″ tongue and groove on top of that – plus this particular section of floor is a hallway that never has more than two people standing on it, so I think we’re safe there. Sanding a Plywood Subfloor. Caulk seams. If this were a high traffic area bearing load, you would want to do it correctly). Once the compound is dry, make another sweep with your electric sander to shave down slight differences in the height of the subfloor and even out rough patches. In some cases, it is necessary (or at least beneficial) to address an uneven subfloor issue at the joist level. 1. Our Senco Screwgun made this step a snap, but you could do it with a drill driver and subfloor screws. Accordingly, it may be unsafe in any given situation (especially if you plane too much). Although it may seem redundant to someone not in the trade, each opportunity to clean that is seized upon is a positive step toward that flat, gorgeous floor we are methodically working toward. After replacing the subfloor in 3 rooms we flipped over the tongue and groove 5 inch (pine?) Improper nailing. How to Pull Up Carpet and Paint the Plywood Floor, Renovation Headquarters: Removing Staples When Lifting Wall-To-Wall Carpeting, Quasius Equipment, Inc.: Orbital Floor Sander, How to Install Unfinished Oak Hardwood Flooring, How to Paint a Floor Until You Can Afford New Carpet. If you don't have the money to install new carpets, or the inclination to lay wood flooring, painting a subfloor can be an inventive and simple finishing solution. I've been using a … If you want background on the entire leveling project, I suggest reading the shingle-method post first. How to Refinish Plywood Subflooring. Watch out for nail and screw heads as you sand. Some might argue that you have 2 spans but it’s a pretty loose argument. Self explanatory. You must make precise cuts on the subfloor material since it will be resting only on half of the neighboring joists. If you have signs of mold under hardwood floors, it's vital to know what you're dealing with before you kill the mold. 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