Installing flooring is naturally a difficult task for a person not well acquainted with the process. You can always search for flooring near me and hire professional help. But it cannot hurt to know a bit about your floor before you assign others to do the job. After all, you would not want to leave your floor entirely in the hands of others. Here are some basic things that you must know about your flooring. So come on then lets scroll along and take a look at it.
Things you should know about your floor
Almost all residential floors have such a similar structure. They usually consist of four layers and here we have them all listed. Take a look!
- Floor covering:
This is the uppermost layer of the floor that is visible to us from the top. These can be of hardwood covering or be covered with carpets as well. This is the most polished surface of the floor that we walk on.
- Underlayment:
This is the second layer from the top and quite an important one. This consists of some kind of material that is usually half or so inches in thickness. This layer provides for a smooth and even surface for the flooring that goes on top of it. Hardwood or cement boards are common options for the material being used. Sometimes plywood may be used too.
- Subfloor:
They are already installed when you install the underlayment and the flooring. They are fundamental to the basic structure of the floor. They are usually made of plywood or OSB and are about 19/32 or 11/8 inch in thickness.
- Joists:
These are wooden framing members that rest on the side, on the walls and beams. These make up the foundation of the entire building structure and hence the most important part of the construction of your floor. They are most commonly made of 2/12 or 2/10 pieces of lumber.
You can install any flooring you want, starting from hardwood to carpeting the entire floor area. You can also hire professional help by searching hardwood flooring near me. But these basic structures of your floor you must be acquainted with to choose the best for it.
