Plywood for kitchen floor?

[BloodAndBandages]

We're getting a new kitchen - the house has traditional floorboards. We're going to lay vinyl on it, so will need to lay board on top of the floorboards to level it. Would plywood be the right material for this?

What thickness is recommened?

 

[KenGMac]

General practice is 6.mm. Ply.

Fixing [generally] Screws at 100.mm. in all directions in a grid pattern.

Watch the screw length, adjust the length to go through the ply and the flooring, BUT not much further at all than that.

Ken.

 

[dazlight]

The plywood won’t level the floorboards. It will make it flatter but won’t be level.

 

[BloodAndBandages]

The plywood won’t level the floorboards. It will make it flatter but won’t be level.

I guess the idea is so that the lines of the floorboards will not show through a vinyl floor covering.

 

[KenGMac]

lines of the floorboards will not show through a vinyl floor covering.

Short answer is yes, that is exactly what it does, otherwise floor board "Tram lines" even after a very short while in use.

Ken.

 

[crazydaze]

Industry standard would be 4mm pre-wet hardboard for cushion floor sheet vinyl to prepare.

If the floorboards are bad, 6mm Ply with a microcoat or featheredge to screwheads and joints.

 

[BloodAndBandages]

The floor looks level and the boards are in good condition.

 

[crazydaze]

The floor looks level and the boards are in good condition.

For sheet vinyl on a ‘good’ subfloor just go with 4mm flooring grade hardboard, easier to handle and less prep required than ply.

 

[BloodAndBandages]

I went with hardwood 5.5mm plywood from Wickes. Do I need to wet it before laying it?

What is featheredge? Is that a pva glue solution to the joins and screwheads?

I'm also having trouble finding screws short enough - I would prefer 20mm, but seems the shortest is 25mm. Floorboards are 18mm thick.

 

[KenGMac]

https://www.diy.com/search?term=20MM+WOOD+SCREWS

 

[HERTS P&D]

Screwfix

GOLDSCREW PLUS PZ DOUBLE-COUNTERSUNK MULTIPURPOSE SCREWS 4 X 20MM 200 PACK (1545F)

Andy

 

[BloodAndBandages]

Any advice on whether I should wet the plywood before laying it? It won't be right up to the skirting - only as far as to go under the front legs of the units. I will cut another strip for the rear legs.

 

[dazlight]

No you don’t wet it mate

 

[BloodAndBandages]

That's good, because I haven't!