A subfloor is an additional layer of flooring placed over floor joists, adding stability and improving the chances of the floor staying level. Plywood or concrete can be used, and it helps distribute stresses on floor joists and reduces the chance of the floor shifting over time.
A subfloor is a type of construction used in many different types of residential and commercial buildings. As the name suggests, a sub-floor is an additional layer of flooring that is placed directly over the floor joists, then covered with a second layer that serves as the exposed floor in the structure. Using this type of floor construction helps add stability to the floor and improves the chances of the floor staying level over the long term.
You can use different materials to create a subfloor. One of the most common is the use of plywood sheets. The plywood subfloor is attached to the floor joists, typically with nails. Sometimes, wood glue can also be used to position the plywood sheets. Once in place, the plywood is covered with an extra layer of some type of flooring, which may or may not be some type of wood product. After the top layer is in place, the floor can be covered with carpet or tile. If the top deck is a hardwood type, the builder may choose to sand, finish, and seal the top layer, allowing the natural beauty of the wood to add character and visual appeal to the room.
It is also possible to use concrete to create a subfloor. This approach is very common in basements and bathrooms. Here, the idea is to use concrete to create a stable foundation for the floor, then cover it with stable materials before adding any decorative touches. For example, a subfloor in a bathroom can provide the foundation for adding a second layer of concrete which in turn provides the means to secure the tiles to the top layer of the floor. The basement subfloor can provide support for a layer of wood left exposed, painted, or carpeted.
There are two main benefits associated with underlayment. It has to do with making sure the floor remains stable over a number of years. The presence of the floor helps distribute the stresses on the floor joists more evenly which in turn helps slow the deterioration of those joists. A second benefit of this type of flooring strategy is that it reduces the chance of sections of the floor shifting and skewing over the years. While installing a sub-floor adds some expense to the cost of the building project, that expense is easily justified by years of enjoying a floor that remains level and strong even with constant use.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
