Subfloor height problems at transitions for laminate
#1
04-27-04, 08:21 AM
Subfloor height problems at transitions for laminate
My father-in-law helped me rip out the floor and sub-floor in our 15' by 15' living room in our 101 year old home. This home has had 2 expansions from the original structure. The sub-floor is very level and was laid with plywood. My wife and I would like to lay down laminated flooring (our first time doing such a thing) but I am not sure that the subfloor is high enough.
There is exhisting moulding that we are going to remove and replace with the factory moulding. The problem I am having is that the distance between the top of the new sub-floor and the top of the old sub-floor of the adjoining rooms is anywhere from 1" to 1 1/2". There are 3 door exits off the room (1 bedroom, 1 stairwell and front door) and there is also an archway off to the dining room (part of an addition) Are the transition pieces going to be able to help with those gaps or are we going to be tripping over a small step a lot?All of the flooring patterns we have looked at are not thick enough to close up this distance gap I am seeing.
I was thinking of adding a layer of corkboard to add height, insulation and sound muffling to the subfloor. Would I need to use the factory padding then if I did that? Or would that even be nessesary? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks
There is exhisting moulding that we are going to remove and replace with the factory moulding. The problem I am having is that the distance between the top of the new sub-floor and the top of the old sub-floor of the adjoining rooms is anywhere from 1" to 1 1/2". There are 3 door exits off the room (1 bedroom, 1 stairwell and front door) and there is also an archway off to the dining room (part of an addition) Are the transition pieces going to be able to help with those gaps or are we going to be tripping over a small step a lot?All of the flooring patterns we have looked at are not thick enough to close up this distance gap I am seeing.
I was thinking of adding a layer of corkboard to add height, insulation and sound muffling to the subfloor. Would I need to use the factory padding then if I did that? Or would that even be nessesary? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks
#2
04-28-04, 09:04 PM
Member
Subfloor
In paragraph #1 you state that you removed floor and subfloor, but state that subfloor is in good shape and you express concerns about it being high enough (too low?). What thickness in total did you remove? Was the area you removed originally at the same height as adjoining areas?
In paragraph #2 you state that the distance between the top of the new subfloor and the top of the old subfloor of the adjoining rooms is anywhere from 1" to 1 1/2". Did you install "new" subfloor in area where you removed floor and subfloor? What did you install and what thickness? It is not clear whether the area where you removed floor and subfloor is now lower than the adjacent rooms after installing new subfloor.
If you removed 3/4" solid hardwood floor and subfloor, then new subfloor and new flooring material together should be of same height as what was removed to achieve the same height as adjoining areas if all areas were of equal height. Transitions from 3/4" solid hardwood flooring require a 3/4" transition and transition pieces. 3/4" hardwood T-molds transition between 3/4" hardwood and other hard surface floor covering of the same height. 3/4" hardwood reducers make a 3/4" transition between 3/4" hard and other floor covering. Replacing floor with same thickness subfloor and floor would resolve transition problems.
Laminate manufacturers tend to be very specific about substrate and underlayment requirements and installation in order not to avoid warranty. If laminate is your choice, then taking into consideration height requirements to meet your needs, laminate manufacturer's requirements, and what it best to achieve the look you want are most important. Perhaps with further clarification, we could better answer your question.
In paragraph #2 you state that the distance between the top of the new subfloor and the top of the old subfloor of the adjoining rooms is anywhere from 1" to 1 1/2". Did you install "new" subfloor in area where you removed floor and subfloor? What did you install and what thickness? It is not clear whether the area where you removed floor and subfloor is now lower than the adjacent rooms after installing new subfloor.
If you removed 3/4" solid hardwood floor and subfloor, then new subfloor and new flooring material together should be of same height as what was removed to achieve the same height as adjoining areas if all areas were of equal height. Transitions from 3/4" solid hardwood flooring require a 3/4" transition and transition pieces. 3/4" hardwood T-molds transition between 3/4" hardwood and other hard surface floor covering of the same height. 3/4" hardwood reducers make a 3/4" transition between 3/4" hard and other floor covering. Replacing floor with same thickness subfloor and floor would resolve transition problems.
Laminate manufacturers tend to be very specific about substrate and underlayment requirements and installation in order not to avoid warranty. If laminate is your choice, then taking into consideration height requirements to meet your needs, laminate manufacturer's requirements, and what it best to achieve the look you want are most important. Perhaps with further clarification, we could better answer your question.
