Is tongue and groove necessary for subfloor?

For subflooring, you use tongue and groove plywood. The tongue and groove are only along the 8 foot edges. On the four foot edges, your seams will fall on joist tops, so no need for tongue and groove.

Just so, does flooring have to be tongue and groove?

Tongue and groove edges lock hardwood-flooring planks together along the seams, ensuring a snug fit and hiding finishing nails, but it is possible to install a wood floor without an interlocking system.

One may also ask, what type of wood is best for subfloor? Hardwood flooring: Plywood is the best subfloor for hardwood flooring installation. CDX plywood ranging from 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick and rated A/C will serve well for any hardwood flooring installation. Tongue-and-groove plywood is available to reduce squeaks and help the subfloor fit together better.

Secondly, how do you remove tongue and groove subfloor?

The tongue of one piece of OSB slides into the groove as the material is installed so the long edges don't sag in between the floor joists. You need to make a cut line down the long edge between sheets of subflooring to disengage the pieces of subflooring from one another. I cut the tongue with a circular saw.

Do you nail the tongue or groove?

For tongue-and-groove flooring, drive a nail at a 45-degree angle through the tongue, then conceal it by engaging the groove of the next board. Be sure to countersink the nail – drive it slightly below the surface of the wood – to prevent interference in the joint.

39 Related Question Answers Found

Why do people have tongue and groove flooring?

Nearly all hardwood flooring today is tongue and groove because it solves the pesky problems—such as shrinking, warping, and working loose—commonly experienced by face-nailing planks to floor joists.

What is the difference between shiplap and tongue and groove?

Tongue and groove and shiplap cladding do look very similar once installed. The main difference between them is a longer lip on shiplap cladding, which acts as an additional layer of protection against moisture and rainfall. Because of this, shiplap cladding offers optimum rainwater resistance.

How tight should tongue and groove be?

All it takes is 1⁄8″. The joint should be a firm press fit: If you have to knock the pieces together, then struggle to pull them apart, the joint's too tight. A tongue that's a hair too fat for the groove may actually seat, but it will stress the groove sidewalls and may, in time, prompt them to split.

How much does it cost to install tongue and groove flooring?

Cost to Install Prefinished Hardwood Flooring

Prefinished Hardwood Flooring Costs	Zip Code
	Basic	Best
Prefinished Hardwood Flooring – Labor Cost	$105.00 - $110.00	$165.00 - $175.00
Prefinished Hardwood Flooring – Total	$495.00 - $530.00	$750.00 - $850.00
Prefinished Hardwood Flooring – Total Average Cost per square Foot	$5.13	$8.00

Does the tongue or groove go against the wall?

Which side is the tongue, which the groove, and which goes first during installation? The tongue is the side that you will want to place against the wall as you start your laminate-flooring installation.

Can you float a tongue and groove floor?

Floating. Many tongue and groove floors can be floated over premium underlayment with good success. This is done by gluing the tongues and grooves together with a T&G adhesive. Unlike click-lock floating floors, T&G floors are not designed to be floated.

How many layers of plywood do you need for a subfloor?

Personally, I would also make sure the floor joists are close enough together to give good support. Two plywood layers would span 24 inches in most cases, but if you want to get by with one layer, spacing the joists at 16 inch centers will give you a better floor.

Do you nail or screw subfloor?

Although ring shank nails have a good hold, screws have more overall holding power by comparison. With a larger thread gripping a bigger surface area around them, screws hold your subfloor very tightly – allowing no wiggle room for shifting or loosening.

How thick should a subfloor be?

Typically made of plywood or OSB and ranging in thickness from 19/32" to 1 1/8" thick, the subfloor is truly structural, second only to joists in this respect. Subfloor holds up all of the above layers of flooring, as well as everything in your house—people, dogs, cats, pianos, furniture. All houses have subfloors.

How thick should Plywood be for flooring?

The thickness of your plywood subfloor depends on the joist spans. The National Wood Flooring Association recommends a minimum plywood panel thickness of 7/8-inch for joist spans of 19.2 to 24 inches, and a minimum plywood panel thickness of 5/8-inch for joist spans of 16 inches or less.

How many screws do you need for a subfloor sheet?

Use 6d common nails, spaced 6" apart on edges and 12" apart in the field. 19/32"-1" panels. Use 8d common nails, spaced 6" apart on edges and 12" apart in the field.

Should I use OSB or plywood for subfloor?

The National Tile Contractors Association and the Resilient Floor Covering Institute both recommend plywood for subflooring and underlayment, because it doesn't have the risk of swollen edges that OSB does. Plywood also has a slight advantage in stiffness, which means that subflooring panels need not be quite as thick.

Can I put new subfloor over old subfloor?

One of the benefits of removing the old flooring is it allows you the chance to fix any loose subflooring or squeaks by re-securing the main subfloor to the floor joists prior to installing the new flooring. With all that being said though the answer is YES you can install New Wood Flooring over the old.

How thick should a bathroom subfloor be?

Make Sure Your Subfloor is Structurally Stable

The installation guide for 1/4 inch HardieBacker recommends having wood subfloors made of 5/8 inch exterior grade plywood or OSB (oriented strand board) that is 23/32 inches thick.

Do you need to glue subfloor?

Glue. Although using a subfloor adhesive is not required by code, it is a standard practice that can help prevent floor squeaks by reducing the chance for movement at the panel-to-joist connection. A quality subfloor adhesive will also increase the overall stiffness of the floor.

Can you pull up hardwood floors and reuse them?

How to Pull Up Old Wood Floors for Salvaging. Use your pry bar to remove baseboards. These may also be reused if you are careful and don't damage them during removal. Pry up a board with an exposed tongue.

How do you remove OSB subfloor?

Make the cut 1/8 inch less than the thickness of the OSB subflooring to prevent cutting the attic floor joist or truss bottom cord as this will damage the wood framing. Cut the T&G on the two long edges and carefully remove the fasteners and gently pry the OSB subfloor panel from the floor joists using a pry bar.