Underlayment is a thin plywood or other sheet material laid on top of subflooring to create a smooth surface for thin flooring materials like vinyl and linoleum. Subflooring is not the same thing as underlayment. This means that wetness in the subflooring can wick to those critical framing members.Ģ. Subflooring is sandwiched between the joists and the walls' bottom plates. If it's a multistory house, these walls are topped with the second-floor platform that's much like that of the first floor (in a single-story house, the ceiling joists and roof frame are next).ġ. Once the first floor's subflooring is down, homebuilders lay out and build the walls on top of the subfloor. The subfloor secures the tops of the joists and completes the structural plane that you walk on. In old houses (roughly pre-WWII), subflooring commonly was 1" lumber boards running diagonally across the joists. It consists of horizontal joists, typically 2x8 or larger framing lumber, topped with sheets of subflooring - usually 5/8" or 3/4" plywood, OSB (oriented strandboard) or other sheet material. The first floor-if it's wood, not a concrete slab-is built atop the foundation walls. A modern "stick-framed" house is a system of platforms. "Subfloor" is a building term that's commonly misused, so first let's clear up any murkiness about this important part of your home's structure. That's when you end up with serious water damage, which may not stop at the subflooring itself. Dishwashers, toilets and bathing areas are among the worst offenders because leaks here can go unnoticed until it's too late. But have you thought about where that liquid goes after it soaks through the carpet and pad? Yep, the subfloor-the wood surface underneath the finished flooring.Īnd while it may be no big deal if a tipsy party guest neglects to tell you about a spilled beer, a leaking fixture or appliance is a different story and can wreak havoc on floor structure. So you deal with the stain and run a fan to dry the carpeting.
When you spill some liquid on a carpeted floor, your primary concern is, naturally, the carpet. Photo of a water damaged subfloor by Moresheth/Flickr
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