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Flooring Structure: What's Underneath?
from: SelfHomeImprovement.comFlooring structure, also called the sub floor, is the base level flooring. It is what is located under your carpeting, tile, lament or other flooring in your home. It is where the structure of your floor comes from, too. In other words, this is where you will find all of those uneven problems (unless it is found in the leveling under the home.) The flooring structure is important to understand. It is a critical aspect of the home's design. In short, it gives your home the strength and the durability the home needs.
Why It's Essential
The flooring structure is a critical component of your home's structure. While the home's weight and shape does not put pressure on the flooring, the floor is a critical protection device from the elements. If there is a crack or other leak in the flooring, it is evident from water damage. As with any type of water damage, an issue with the flooring could be an expensive one, and it could be a difficult process to complete.
In some homes, there is no additional floor covering on top of the sub floor. For example, in the basement of the home, you may have nothing on top of the slab flooring. This is not necessarily a problem, though. It does give you plenty of options in decorating and change out the look of the home, though. You will need to do this properly, usually following a full understanding of the quality of the floor structure.
If you are planning to do any type of home improvement on this flooring, you may have an opportunity to really improve the situation. For example, you can often add additional features to the flooring such as under floor heating ducts. You could cool down the flooring by installing under floor covering air conditioning. This is an excellent way to improve the overall value of your home's flooring.
Types of Flooring
The flooring structure can be made from a variety of materials. Generally, it is made from wood. If you have a plywood sub floor, it is likely to be at least ¾ of an inch thick. It is laid over the top of floor joists and then properly secured in place. If you want to install something stronger, you could install a plant sub floor instead. This would use 4 by 8 inch by 4/8 inch planks that are nailed in place or secured using deck screws.
The flooring structure in your home is critical to understand. It is the base of the home and therefore can be susceptible to damage over time. Damage here could mean problems with the flooring covering as well. In most homes, the flooring structure is covered and problems are not easy to find.
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