Using Subfloor As Finished Floor

The subfloor is the foundation beneath finish flooring materials.

Using subfloor as finished floor.

Unlike the subfloor this is not a structural element and it provides no strength to the floor. An underlayment is a thin layer of material sandwiched between two other materials. A subfloor is a wooden structural substrate to which durable finished flooring is attached. It s used to help insulate absorb sound and reduce wear on your floor.

Uncovered pine subflooring appeals to recycling enthusiasts as well as fans of distressed wood. This is the finished visible flooring surface such as hardwood planks carpeting ceramic tile or vinyl. Its purpose is to provide a smooth flat surface for the floor covering. Use an underlayment floor leveler or floor patch product to fix low spots in a wood or concrete subfloor.

There are many types sizes and configurations of plywood. This is the layer that you see and walk on. Over the subfloor there is an underlayment that smooths out the subfloor and provides a flat level surface for the finished flooring surface. In basements and in homes with slab on grade foundations the subfloor may simply be a concrete slab.

Just under the visible floor covering is a layer of some kind of material usually only about 1 4 or 1 2 inch thick. During home construction a builder installs subflooring to provide a solid level foundation for finished flooring such as tile wood vinyl or linoleum. Subflooring is the rough unfinished floor beneath a finished floor sometimes referred to as a blind floor. Yes you can use pine subfloors as primary flooring.

On wood frame floors the subflooring provides a continuous structural surface over the floor joists. A humped threshold from the hall to the bathroom for example. Not bad for any finished wood floor. Drawbacks include a thinner less insulated floor and a less durable surface than other flooring types.

Plywood is usually used as subfloor today. I will not use any flooring that floats simply because you need to make clumsy transitions from it to another type of floor.