Nail Down Flooring On Unlevel Floors

Some squeaking and crackling of the floor is normal when using the nail or staple down method and is not considered a defect.

Nail down flooring on unlevel floors. Generally nails 6d ring or screw shank or 8d common should be spaced 6 inches on center along supported panel edges and 12 inches. Remove any obstacles from the floor. A plywood subfloor will bridge any minor waves in the existing floor and leveling compound would help too. What can be done about uneven laminate locking floors.

On the top side of the floor another fix it idea to lay down new hardwood over the existing floor. However i m concerned about my ability to nail down hardwood flooring after using a leveling compound and am reluctant to expend the effort to rip out and replace the subfloor per the second answer. You will have to make sure your joists can handle the addition of considerably more weight from the plywood subfloor and any floor coverings. Laminate floors aren t attached to the subfloor but subfloor preparation is as critical as it is when installing a nail or glue down floor.

Clean it well with a wet dry vacuum. To avoid nail pops pullouts and shiners nails that barely hit the joist all of which can cause squeaks use the correct nail size and spacing and ensure the nails penetrate the floor joists and sink fully. Of course homeowners. In my specific case i need to level the floor in an upstairs room where one of the floor joists is i m assuming 3 4 higher than the rest of them.

A floating floor is easily installed without using glue staples or nails making it an exceptional diy floor option. Installation of floating floors are easy and fast because planks click or snap together quickly and float above the subflooring surface. There are certain types of flooring that should never be installed on uneven floors. Floating floor the best floor for uneven surface.

For certain types of flooring materials there are three common methods of installation. When installing the plywood make sure that you use nails that are thick enough to go through the plywood and all the way down through the floor below. Ceramic and porcelain tiles especially large format tiles will usually crack over time if the floor cannot be evened out. Here we will examine the pros and cons of floating floors vs non floating floors and the options to consider to help make your decision making just a little less complicated.

When you are dealing with uneven floors. Pound nails into the subfloor with a hammer and set screws slightly below the surface of the subfloor with a screwdriver. Direction of the flooring should be installed at a 90 degree right angle to the floor joists. Flooring options to avoid for uneven floors.

Determine a starting wall. Expansion gaps of 3 4 are required between flooring and all walls in room.