Winter is upon us, and people are bracing themselves for extremely low temperatures. It’s during this time that heating systems come in handy. While most people use various types of heating systems such as boilers, heat pumps, and space heaters, homeowners are becoming more informed about in-floor radiant heating, which provides an energy-efficient means of heating floors, making them much more comfortable to walk on.

A subfloor is a critical part of your flooring system, but there can be benefits and drawbacks associated with the time of year you install it. Many builders and home remodelers, of course, are extra busy during the summer. The warm summer season is typically a good time to complete construction, renovation, or remodeling projects. When it comes to floors, however, and subflooring in particular, there are some things that property owners and contractors must keep in mind.

When you install a floor, it may look good for a while, but it may not stay that way forever. A big factor in the lasting quality of your floors results from the unseen subfloor. Subfloors give floors extra support. They attach to the flooring material, making them strong enough to support the weight of furniture, appliances, and traffic. Building codes determine the spacing and spans for subfloor installations. However, doing the bare minimum does not always give you all the support you need. Shortcuts in subfloor installation may lead to the dreaded squeak.

Bathroom flooring is a unique creature. Unlike the rest of the floors in a home, ones in the bathroom get exposed to not only moisture, but also humidity. Also, people using the floor are more likely to be barefoot, adding another layer of special consideration needed. While you want your floors to look good with your decor, you also want them to stay functional. When choosing bathroom flooring, it’s important to consider these features to ensure best performance. 

For a quality flooring project, you need to start at the bottom. Underlayment masks imperfections in the subfloor, reduces sound, and provides other benefits specific to each type of floor covering. Choosing the right product to go underneath is important to having a finished floor that’s not only beautiful but will last for many years.

A homeowner only truly cares about the final layer of flooring, whether it be laminate, wood, or travertine. But a good builder knows what’s under that layer is where the important work is done. We often talk about subfloors, which are the foundation of lasting floors, but there’s a layer in the middle that we’ll focus on today. The underlayment, which is the layer that goes between the actual flooring and the subfloor, is a key component of a sound flooring structure.

Oriented Strand Board, or OSB as most of us call it, makes a floor installer’s job easier. It’s fairly straightforward to install, requires familiar steps, and simple tools. But, as with any construction job, losing attention to the simple details can cause problems in the future that lead to callbacks. Callbacks are a waste of your time so prevent them at all costs by being mindful of these five mistakes that are easily avoided.

There’s much more underneath the surface than one might think. The structural system for any floor will include a combination of joists, underlayment, and subfloors. However, the materials and installation process for subfloors often depend on what surface flooring is being installed on top. Here are subfloors best practices for the five most common surface flooring materials:

Squeaky floors create great sound effects during the Halloween season, but for builders it’s a costly reason for callbacks. Squeaky sub-floors can develop even if the subfloor installed up to code.

One of the most easily ignored surfaces in the home is subflooring. Floating subfloors are more susceptible to damage, and if left unrepaired, will diminish the structural integrity and stability of your floors. To avoid problems, here are some signs to look for that indicate your subfloor may be damaged.