Reply To: Floor Prep Plywood Underlayment

[Larry]

Floor Prep Question Plywood Underlayment #2

Hi Joe,
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I really appreciate your help.

The existing stick on vinyl tile is a very thin product approx 3/64″. The tile is about 30 years old. Most of it is adhered to the subfloor quite well and is very hard to remove. I have used a multitool which works OK but is very time consuming. I have also used the heating method using a couple of irons which works well to loosen the glue but still takes me about 5 minutes per tile.

If you have any suggestions on a better method to remove the sticky tile please let me know. There are a few tiles that are somewhat loose where the glue has dried up and those tiles can be brittle and easy to remove.

Concerning tile breakup, I can test a few tiles with staples to see if they hold together to get a better idea how they would take the underlayment staples.

Concerning the subfloor area shown in pics #20,21 “Living Room Floor Patch” Can I use tar paper to build up that area instead of floor patch compound before installing the plywood underlayment?

I am planning to install LVP in the Living Room, Bedroom #1, Bedroom #2, Hallway and Loft. Also I was thinking of using LVP on the stairway landings. I will redo the stairs with oak treads after the main flooring install.

Another question concerns how LVP would handle temperature differences in the floor. The wood stove can get quite hot when in use and the floor in front of the stove heats up more than the rest of the floor in the Living Room. The hearth measures 27 1/2″ X 54 1/2″ . Possibly leave an extra bit of expansion gap around the hearth?

Would it be OK to prep and lay flooring 1 room at a time to minimize moving furniture around or would it be best to complete all the room prep first?

The Laundry Room could use new flooring also but I am not sure how a floating floor would work in that room as there are 2 heavy work benches, washer and dryer and a heavy cabinet there. We could revisit that later if you feel that LVP would work in there.

I uploaded more pics.
Thanks again

LarryB

+5 More Photos

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by  Larry. Reason: Spelling

[Larry]

Floor Prep Question Plywood Underlayment #2

Hi Joe,
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I really appreciate your help.

The existing stick on vinyl tile is a very thin product approx 3/64″. The tile is about 30 years old. Most of it is adhered to the subfloor quite well and is very hard to remove. I have used a multitool which works OK but is very time consuming. I have also used the heating method using a couple of irons which works well to loosen the glue but still takes me about 5 minutes per tile.

If you have any suggestions on a better method to remove the sticky tile please let me know. There are a few tiles that are somewhat loose where the glue has dried up and those tiles can be brittle and easy to remove.

Concerning tile breakup, I can test a few tiles with staples to see if they hold together to get a better idea how they would take the underlayment staples.

Concerning the subfloor area shown in pics #20,21 “Living Room Floor Patch” Can I use tar paper to build up that area instead of floor patch compound before installing the plywood underlayment?

I am planning to install LVP in the Living Room, Bedroom #1, Bedroom #2, Hallway and Loft. Also I was thinking of using LVP on the stairway landings. I will redo the stairs with oak treads after the main flooring install.

Another question concerns how LVP would handle temperature differences in the floor. The wood stove can get quite hot when in use and the floor in front of the stove heats up more than the rest of the floor in the Living Room. The hearth measures 27 1/2″ X 54 1/2″ . Possibly leave an extra bit of expansion gap around the hearth?

Would it be OK to prep and lay flooring 1 room at a time to minimize moving furniture around or would it be best to complete all the room prep first?

The Laundry Room could use new flooring also but I am not sure how a floating floor would work in that room as there are 2 heavy work benches, washer and dryer and a heavy cabinet there. We could revisit that later if you feel that LVP would work in there.

I uploaded more pics.
Thanks again

LarryB

+5 More Photos

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by  Larry. Reason: Spelling