Plywood for Sub Floors

Sub floors made of floorboards will need plywood to level them out before laying vinyl tiles such as Amtico - a guide to what this means

Fasten down any loose boards first

Before the laying of any plwood takes place, it is important to address any issues with the floor which require attention first. Screw down any loose or creaking boards as plywood won't stop the irritation. Once laid, you won't get under the boards so easily. Once the tiles are laid on top of the boards, you won't get under them at all without causing major damage. Ensure pipes and wires need no further attention.

Plywood for leveling

For most leveling jobs, 6mm plywood with dressed faces is the preferred choice. Grades of plywood destined for rougher work such as shuttering won't be suitable.

Brick pattern

Staggering the plywood as you would lay bricks is the preferred pattern for laying the boards. This is to limit any permutations caused by the corners meeting up.

Countersink screw heads

Countersinking the screw heads is important when fixing the boards down, failure to do so will incur raised levels which undo the point of doing the leveling in the first place. Make sure any rough fibres are removed. Two pack filler can be used to fill over any holes that are too deep, making sure you sand them flat afterwards.

Scribing around toilet pans

Use a large sheet of paper to scribe around obstructions such as toilet pans and sink pedestals. Snip the paper around the obstruction and then use an edge such as a ruler to mark an accurate guide to where the edges are. You can then place the paper onto the boards and mark them up using the same ruler.