Some contractors and flooring stores might tell you that a laminate subfloor isn’t possible, but it’s more than feasible. The only difference between installing original laminate or luxury vinyl plank is just the thickness of the planks. Otherwise, they’re treated in much the same way when dealing with insulation underlayment, gaps around trim boards, or fasteners to attach edge pieces together.
Is Plywood Subflooring Really Necessary?
If you have a cheap pad, it might need to be taken up. Most of the time, homeowners are told they should remove their old flooring and put in plywood. They are told to do this so there is no risk or unevenness in the laminate flooring on top, but most average households will find that many laminates are flatter than the existing wood subfloor anyway.
Laying new laminate without replacing the underlying subfloor makes the job quick and easy. You may need to make couple of adjustments to your old flooring to give it the best appearance and functionality possible. For example, if you have a loose board, you must screw it down because it’s now considered your subfloor.
How Can You Install Laminate Subfloors on a Budget?
While there may be benefits to adding wood subfloor underneath laminate flooring, it can quickly hike up the price on your flooring project. Have you seen how expensive plywood is these days? Fortunately, we have a few tricks up our sleeves to help you install beautiful laminate floors in Alaska without going over your budget.
I spent years installing floors in an impoverished part of the country. Many people could not afford installing a brand-new subfloor, so we had to find other ways. We found that homeowners spent thousands of dollars adding brand new subfloor and only got an extra couple of years out of their new floor at most. And if they took out the laminate without adding subfloor, they ended up with height problems, bouncing, and echoing.
There is a solution that allows you to save money not having to pay for new wood subfloor while avoiding the drawbacks of installing laminate without any subfloors at all. We found that you could simply glue a commercial LVT straight to the top of existing flat laminate. It is not prone to gaps because it is on a floating floor.
The Most Knowledgeable Flooring Company in Alaska
At SAV-On Flooring, we have brought all our past 20+ years of experience to our ownership to make sure that our Alaska clients get the best value, knowledge, and products for their homes. It comes down to this: We will check your laminate floor to see if it can be used as a subfloor and save you thousands of dollars along the way. It is who we are and what we love to do.
Ready to make your dream floor a reality? Let us help you transform your space today.