What a big help. Thank you for putting this out. I don’t usually do flooring. But a customer asked me to do lvt in her bathroom. After 20hrs of jackhammer to tile work I have to use some kind of underlayment. After finding a a lot of sub par videos on the subject. Here I find this, specifically about lvt prep. What a jem!
Another great video bud third generation floor installer my uncle always taught me to use stappler for subfloor but never explained it well done 👏 hats off to you
Great demonstration! Every now and then I get into a job where the previous installer hand nailed all the underlayment. The existing vinyl Looks dimpled up like a golf ball.
Great video. I'll be putting down 1/2" ply underlayment on top of 3/4" ply subfloor for installing LVP. Can staples be used with the 1/2" ply or just thinner underlayment?
staples are likely blowing through, or mostly through, the top ply of the underlayment so orienting the crown WITH the grain gives a stronger hold AND limits the chances of face checking the top ply with staples. Also you can get a staple set to drive staples down without risk. It comes in handy when the compressor pressure gets low, leaving crowns high.
If you absolutely must nail, wipe across the dents with a wet cloth, qnd allow it to dry. Moisture will make the smashed wood swell up. DISCLOSURE: I haven't tried this scenario, but I have used this technique to hide flaws in wood when woodworking. I see no reason to believe it would not work.
Never staple the seams in underlayment first! Always staple the field or middle of sheet first, working out to the edges then staple all seams last. This is crucial for preventing telegraphing of seams through sheet vinyl or vinyl plank. I've seen the seams invert and require alot of prep to correct.
@GregoryGuay screws would work, but they create divots that will telegraph through the vinyl sheeting and needs each screw covered. It is alot of extra time
Can you please tell me what type of wood you are using for the underlayment? I'm installing LVP and I have a wood subfloor in rough shape and wanted to install underlayment.
No, do it on top. If you do it under the quarter inch plywood, the plenty patch will bust all up and become gravel under your plywood from shooting staples through it
What do you recommend for fasteners on 1\2in underlayment over 3\4in shiplap fasteners can not go through floor since that will be showing. Plus spacing on underlayment. TIA
If a floor needs to be leveled does that need done first with self leveling compound? Can underlayment go over that? Or do you skip underlayment in that area and just pour in self leveling compound? Finish would be glue down LVP.
A Southern Boys great video. What is the spacing on Staples with 3/8 particle board. Does it differ from plywood? Not a big fan of particle board is just what a alot 0f track home builders use out here in Cali
Great videos thanks for sharing. Could you use a arrow hammer tracker instead of a staple gun? Not sure if it would damage the ply as never used either…yet! Thanks
@@FloorsbySouthernboys Thank you. Try to make the best choice about things, I'm repairing, not replacing the floor. This house has to be around 70 years old. Square with 4 rooms. The cheap style they built back then. I've always enjoyed painting and art, so I've gave the old house a paint job worth a few thousand in the living room and same for the kitchen. Why? Because I could, so I did. lol Thank you for your time. If you wonder about UFO's, nonhuman flying saucers are real as we are on this planet. Have a Nice UAP/UFO Day.
Hi! Does anyone know if the staples need to be countersunk at all? I saw in the video that the screws were, but not sure about the staples? Should I be able to run a knife over them and not feel them? Thanks.
Same here, I just buy these cheap pieces from Home Depot, it kind of would’ve been pointless to talk about a lot of that stuff with the underlayment haven’t green exes all over it in place of the staples LOL
If my subfloor is concrete/ concrete mix, will the staple be strong enough to get through the plywood AND concrete ? How many inch plywood is good to cover subfloor, im covering it with sheet vinyl thanks P.s do you cover the joints with tape ?
For a click together LVP that will be fine if you are doing a glue down LVP then I would not recommend that. If it is click, you do not have to staple, but you do need to nail the pattern explained in this video. It will definitely save you a lot of hammering if you do staple.
Thank you so much for the quick response and your video. We plant to use click. I think the type we have already has a foam backing. I’m assuming we don’t need to use Smartcore type underlayment if the plank has a foam backing?
Great video just my view would be nicer if the camera was a little closer to where you can see your markings and other things but other than that great job brother keep up the good good work
Would this same method work for using 3/4 plywood sheathing as underlayment? (3/4 is because I need to raise up the floor to match level with a hardwood area I am leaving in place.)
Curious about this. We are planning on doing the exact thing (3/4 inch plywood underlayment on top of 3/4 inch subfloor to bring it up level with the connecting room). Did you end up screwing down and if so, what size screw did you use and what did you use for spacing?
@@brenttilley5163 I couldn't find anything definitive on it, so I just made something up (I am not a contractor, just a DIY-er). I used 3/4 sheathing grade tounge and groove plywood with a layer of rosin paper in between. I used 3-in perimeter screw spacing and 6-in in the field (Grip-Rite #8 x 1-1/4-in Yellow Zinc Interior Wood Screws). I used plywood because at the time it was a similar price to OSB (but that's not the case now) and I used the rosin paper instead of construction adhesive in between because I wasn't sure if it needed to expand differently since it was dissimilar from the OSB under it. I also had to do leveling with floor leveling compound, but the tongue and groove interlocking helps a little bit with that.
I'll be stapling 3/8" plywood onto a 3/4" OSB subfloor, since the thickness of these two pieces of wood equals 1 1/8", would a 1" staple be the correct size? I know the staple is not suppose to go through to the joists, so the staple needs to be slightly less than the thickness of the two pieces of wood.
I need to secure a 5/8 underlayment panel to the subfloor. I don't know how thick the subfloor is. It is at least 5/8 -3/4. What type of screw do I use and how long? I was thinking of screws and using a drill bit with a counter sink to keep them flat. If I do that, what number of wood screw and how long?
Your subfloor is the foundation to make your finish floor look amazing and you won't have to tear It out and start over if it's done correctly at the beginning.
It's 2022. You don't use nails or staples. Tomorrow or 10 years, your floor will creek. Use screws and do it right the 1st time. You're not going to warp the floor nor will the hardwood or vinyl show screws punches. Stop it.
@@FloorsbySouthernboys wrong! That's just some cheap bullshit you learned working for someone. No particle board, used plywood. Use a bonding agent and screws. Stop spreading cheap and lazy tricks.
What a big help. Thank you for putting this out. I don’t usually do flooring. But a customer asked me to do lvt in her bathroom. After 20hrs of jackhammer to tile work I have to use some kind of underlayment. After finding a a lot of sub par videos on the subject. Here I find this, specifically about lvt prep. What a jem!
@@sawdustadikt979 awesome
I did 1200 feet the other day in 6 hours with a helper. Love subflooring. Great video brother keep up the good work!
That’s awesome, good job and thank you, it’s good money in underlayment to
Thank you, I'm putting down a subfloor tomorrow. I will be laying an interlocking floor on top, this video was very helpful.
😀👍
Thank you so much! This was by far the best, most informative video I've seen for this type of work. I feel very confident now going into my project!
Another great video bud third generation floor installer my uncle always taught me to use stappler for subfloor but never explained it well done 👏 hats off to you
Thank you sir
Great demonstration! Every now and then I get into a job where the previous installer hand nailed all the underlayment. The existing vinyl Looks dimpled up like a golf ball.
😂😂Yeah I’ve seen that
Great video. I'll be putting down 1/2" ply underlayment on top of 3/4" ply subfloor for installing LVP. Can staples be used with the 1/2" ply or just thinner underlayment?
Awesome video. Great help. I appreciate all the detail and the tops!
Excellent video. Thank you!
😀👍
This is one of the best vid on any topic thta I've ever seen ! Super-excellent.
Very educational! You know your trade👍
staples are likely blowing through, or mostly through, the top ply of the underlayment so orienting the crown WITH the grain gives a stronger hold AND limits the chances of face checking the top ply with staples. Also you can get a staple set to drive staples down without risk. It comes in handy when the compressor pressure gets low, leaving crowns high.
That’s great, never thought of it
That makes a lot of sense Nate, thanks so much. Otherwise great instruction! I wasn't sure if my narrow crown stapler would work.
If you absolutely must nail, wipe across the dents with a wet cloth, qnd allow it to dry. Moisture will make the smashed wood swell up. DISCLOSURE: I haven't tried this scenario, but I have used this technique to hide flaws in wood when woodworking. I see no reason to believe it would not work.
Very clear and detailed tutorial.
Thank you , hope it helps
Never staple the seams in underlayment first! Always staple the field or middle of sheet first, working out to the edges then staple all seams last. This is crucial for preventing telegraphing of seams through sheet vinyl or vinyl plank. I've seen the seams invert and require alot of prep to correct.
Makes a lot of sense, thanks for sharing
How about screws?
@GregoryGuay screws would work, but they create divots that will telegraph through the vinyl sheeting and needs each screw covered. It is alot of extra time
Nice video, 1/4 in crown staples what in staples would be good for a 1/4 plywood?
What brand staple gun are you using?
When skim coating the floor patch do I have to leave a thin layer or can I scrape it off just to fill voids and seams?
Can you please tell me what type of wood you are using for the underlayment? I'm installing LVP and I have a wood subfloor in rough shape and wanted to install underlayment.
This is a underlayment from Lowe’s
Fantastic video! Thank you so much for posting!
You’re welcome
What size staple would you use for 1/5 underlayment?
If I have a low spot on my subfloor ( about 1/4 inch in a span of 3 feets), should i use planipatch to level it before adding a 1/4 plywood ?
No, do it on top. If you do it under the quarter inch plywood, the plenty patch will bust all up and become gravel under your plywood from shooting staples through it
What do you recommend for fasteners on 1\2in underlayment over 3\4in shiplap fasteners can not go through floor since that will be showing. Plus spacing on underlayment. TIA
That’s a good one, I would probably use construction adhesive and 1 inch screws
@FloorsbySouthernboys thank you so what brand screws and screw gun do you recommend
@@kevinoehlerts3749 I personally use Dewalt and the screws won’t matter. Just make sure they are coarse thread.
If a floor needs to be leveled does that need done first with self leveling compound? Can underlayment go over that? Or do you skip underlayment in that area and just pour in self leveling compound? Finish would be glue down LVP.
Just self level that’s all
A Southern Boys great video. What is the spacing on Staples with 3/8 particle board. Does it differ from plywood? Not a big fan of particle board is just what a alot 0f track home builders use out here in Cali
I would do the same 4 inches in the field 2 inches on the seams
Thanks
Great videos thanks for sharing. Could you use a arrow hammer tracker instead of a staple gun? Not sure if it would damage the ply as never used either…yet! Thanks
No ma’am that would not work
@@FloorsbySouthernboys Thanks…and realised not as soon as I’d asked lol. Ordered myself a staple gun 😁
@@Taliabalia04 😀👍good luck with your project I hope it turns out great
I would like to know what size plywood/type you're using over the subfloor? Thank you for your time.
1/4” thick 4x8 sheets
@@FloorsbySouthernboys Thank you. Try to make the best choice about things, I'm repairing, not replacing the floor. This house has to be around 70 years old. Square with 4 rooms. The cheap style they built back then. I've always enjoyed painting and art, so I've gave the old house a paint job worth a few thousand in the living room and same for the kitchen. Why? Because I could, so I did. lol Thank you for your time. If you wonder about UFO's, nonhuman flying saucers are real as we are on this planet. Have a Nice UAP/UFO Day.
great video!
Hi! Does anyone know if the staples need to be countersunk at all? I saw in the video that the screws were, but not sure about the staples? Should I be able to run a knife over them and not feel them?
Thanks.
You are correct you should not fill them. It is a necessity that they are countersunk.
Why to these flooring people never remove the trim??? Other then that this is good info.
How do you set the staple gun to get the staples to be flush?
Set the pressure correctly
In addition to staples, Should I use a construction glue to secure my underlayment
No
is it ok to use 18 gauge staples?? Good video thanks for the info!
If nailed correctly, how many sheets roughly of 4x8’ with a box of 5000 staples?
What about gluing the underlayment?
I have to double my plywood underlayment to the subfloor. Will it be better to staple individual or stack them and do both at the same time?
How do you know you have to double your subfloor? I'm about to rip up carpet and put down underlayment.
Do you tape the underlayment seams prior to installing the finish flooring?
No sir
@@FloorsbySouthernboys thank you kindly!
I like using the halex 4x5 sheets of subfloor
Same here, I just buy these cheap pieces from Home Depot, it kind of would’ve been pointless to talk about a lot of that stuff with the underlayment haven’t green exes all over it in place of the staples LOL
Would you use nails or screws for click floating lvp? And do you still patch seams on subfloor for floating lvp?
If I had no stapler I would use ring shank nails and no I would not patch the joints but I would sand them and make sure they was flat
If my subfloor is concrete/ concrete mix, will the staple be strong enough to get through the plywood AND concrete ? How many inch plywood is good to cover
subfloor, im covering it with sheet vinyl thanks
P.s do you cover the joints with tape ?
If you are on concrete then there is no need for underlayment, simply print out your concrete slab to make it smooth
@@FloorsbySouthernboys what is print out?? Thanks
Is it okay to use 1/4” OSB as an underlayment over the subfloor as an underlayment for LVP? And if so, should that also be stapled?
For a click together LVP that will be fine if you are doing a glue down LVP then I would not recommend that. If it is click, you do not have to staple, but you do need to nail the pattern explained in this video. It will definitely save you a lot of hammering if you do staple.
Thank you so much for the quick response and your video. We plant to use click. I think the type we have already has a foam backing. I’m assuming we don’t need to use Smartcore type underlayment if the plank has a foam backing?
@@ChettDaniel that is correct
You’re a good dude. I truly appreciate your time!
@@ChettDaniel thank you, glad to help
What size staples are those 3/8? Nice job
7/8 with a 1/4 crown
What was the wood path you spread over the nails / screws?
Can you use a slammer to staple?
No
Great video just my view would be nicer if the camera was a little closer to where you can see your markings and other things but other than that great job brother keep up the good good work
Birds Eye view lol
I like to floor patch my floor anyway but Rosen coated staples is the way to go
😀👍Yeah thank you
Can you recommend staple size for a quarter inch plywood underlayment on top of three-quarter inch OSB?
Will be putting down 7-8" floating vinyl flooring over 1/4 plywood underlayment. Do I still need to use as many staples?
I’m assuming the more staples you have the more likely it will be quiet! Maybe add a quiet floor rubber or felt Lair as well?
Would you go 7/16 16 gauge for 1/2" OSB (not a glue down application)? Same spacing applies?
Would this same method work for using 3/4 plywood sheathing as underlayment? (3/4 is because I need to raise up the floor to match level with a hardwood area I am leaving in place.)
No sir for three-quarter inch products you will need to screw it down instead of staple
Curious about this. We are planning on doing the exact thing (3/4 inch plywood underlayment on top of 3/4 inch subfloor to bring it up level with the connecting room). Did you end up screwing down and if so, what size screw did you use and what did you use for spacing?
@@brenttilley5163 I couldn't find anything definitive on it, so I just made something up (I am not a contractor, just a DIY-er). I used 3/4 sheathing grade tounge and groove plywood with a layer of rosin paper in between. I used 3-in perimeter screw spacing and 6-in in the field (Grip-Rite #8 x 1-1/4-in Yellow Zinc Interior Wood Screws). I used plywood because at the time it was a similar price to OSB (but that's not the case now) and I used the rosin paper instead of construction adhesive in between because I wasn't sure if it needed to expand differently since it was dissimilar from the OSB under it. I also had to do leveling with floor leveling compound, but the tongue and groove interlocking helps a little bit with that.
I'll be stapling 3/8" plywood onto a 3/4" OSB subfloor, since the thickness of these two pieces of wood equals 1 1/8", would a 1" staple be the correct size? I know the staple is not suppose to go through to the joists, so the staple needs to be slightly less than the thickness of the two pieces of wood.
Can you staple 19/32 plywood or do you have to screw it down?
Is that luan plywood?
How about the staples causing floor squeaks over time?....thats the advantage of screws.
Never had an issue with it, ever
Then if you ever want to remove this underlayment, you'll have 10,000 staples you have to either pull up or flush cut with an oscillating tool.
That’s exactly right
Glue or no glue under luan???
No glue
@@FloorsbySouthernboys thank you for replying...great video
@@indycountryliving4496 your welcome
Is there a difference between a staple gun and an underlayment staple gun?? Would rather not buy another tool
If your staple gun shoots staples with a quarter inch crown you will be fine
Do you but sheets tight together
Yes
your hand placement scares me hahah, i never keep my hand on the floor
But honestly it never has occurred to me until I watched the video and then I was like dang LOL
So you're the trigger happy guy I cursed when I had to pull that flooring up and had to pull all those staples and nails out. lol.
😂👍
I need to secure a 5/8 underlayment panel to the subfloor. I don't know how thick the subfloor is. It is at least 5/8 -3/4. What type of screw do I use and how long? I was thinking of screws and using a drill bit with a counter sink to keep them flat. If I do that, what number of wood screw and how long?
Bumpkin right there , right here !
Is that an 18 gauge gun?
Okay, thank you for the video okay, okay. Straight to the point, okay. Okay now, have a great day, okay. Bye now, okay. 👌
OK thank you
👍🏻
😀👍
Can you use 18ga brand nails?
That is way to much overkill , your just waisting staples
No sir that is exactly what is required no overkill at all
Its only luan bud , its not going anywhere
Your subfloor is the foundation to make your finish floor look amazing and you won't have to tear It out and start over if it's done correctly at the beginning.
@@AnthonythesiderAll good if you want a nice squeaky floor
What length staple would you recommend for 3/8” ply on top of 1/2” subfloor?
Yes, should never have anything less than a three-quarter inch sub for
@@FloorsbySouthernboys what length staple?
@@bothfeetin 7/8
It's 2022. You don't use nails or staples.
Tomorrow or 10 years, your floor will creek. Use screws and do it right the 1st time.
You're not going to warp the floor nor will the hardwood or vinyl show screws punches.
Stop it.
Wrong, for underlayment you always use staples never screw it down
@@FloorsbySouthernboys wrong! That's just some cheap bullshit you learned working for someone.
No particle board, used plywood.
Use a bonding agent and screws.
Stop spreading cheap and lazy tricks.
@FloorsbySouthernboys why? Cheapest and fastest way isn't always best.
@@redrustyhill2staples are cheaper and faster than screws