Hey everyone! I recently purchased a new house built in 2008 and I'm looking to install vinyl planks in a 12x10 room with an OSB subfloor. While I've done quite a bit of research, most of what I found discusses issues related to older homes. My subfloor is fairly flat, but there are some slight edges where the OSB panels connect—like a 1/16th of an inch or less gap that causes a little pivot when I level it. Since I've never laid down vinyl planks before, I'm wondering how I should address these small discrepancies before installation. Should I sand down the higher edges, raise the lower ones with thinset or tar paper, or use an underlayment? By the way, I'm planning to use 20mm thick planks that already come with padding on the back.
3 Answers
A mix of shimming and sanding could be your best bet! You really want to make sure the floor doesn’t flex when you walk on it since that can mess up those seams and click-lock features of the vinyl. Good luck!
Honestly, I’d be cautious about going with vinyl floors—they tend to look pretty cheap and can release VOCs that mess with your indoor air quality. Just something to think about!
Using a bonded underlayment with padding should help smooth out that 1/16" difference. If you need to, consider using a belt sander with some 40 grit sandpaper to quickly even out any problem areas. It can really speed things up!
Yeah, I'm kind of undecided about flooring options overall. I appreciate the heads up!