When to lay hardboard before new carpets?

[brettjbuckley]

Our lounge / dining room floorboards have the "usual" 3-4mm expansion / shrinkage gaps between them - but nothing drastic.

Should I put down hardboard before getting a new carpet fitted - how do you decide whether to bother or not?

 

[WoodYouLike]

Yes, always better. creating one level subfloor will reduce damaging the carpet (floorboard lines) in the long run.

 

[masona]

A pint of water with a mop on per 8'x4' sheet hardboard before carpet is fitted

 

[mattysupra]

plywood, plywood, plywood, much better than hardboard!

 

[WoodYouLike]

You've got shares! (in plywood I mean)

 

[brettjbuckley]

Thanks for all of the advice.
I agree that plywood would probably work better due to the rigidity.

Daft question - do I need to temper it first or even leave expansion gaps anywhere?

Also, when I used hardboard (on the upper floors) I used 3/4 inch copper coated headless nails - should I use the same type with plywood or will I need longer or headed nails?

 

[mattysupra]

19mm ring shank nails on 4-6mm ply and yes leave a couple of mm gap between boards.

 

[brettjbuckley]

Do ring shank nails have heads on them like regular nails? I remember once looking for some headless ring shank nails and never finding any!

 

[mattysupra]

yes heads on them