We live on a bay and part of our house overhangs the bulkheads/water. We want to pull all carpet out of the top floor and all installers suggest engineered flooring for the floor which has 3/4 ply sub flooring. We run the AC pretty much year round. We found an engineered 3/8" flooring (ITS Flooring Majestic collection) that we really like and a 1/2 Bella Cera that is a close match that is pretty nice as well. The transition height is 3/4 " at the tiled kitchen to the ply sub flooring but 1.25 " at the bathroom that is on the same top floor. The installer thinks we might have to add another 3/8 ply subfloor layer so transitions to the tiled areas will not be so severe. Does it matter if we pick the 3/8 or 1/2" flooring and how is the additional 3/8" ply installed if some sort of subfloor leveling needed? The engineered flooring will be nailed or stapled.
3/8 or 1/2 engineered flooring in high humidity area
- Thread starter jnw8w8
- Start date
Help Support Flooring Forum:
FloorMaven
Well-Known Member
Check the moisture level in your subfloor. It's possible you may need to do something that would add height to the subfloor?
We have a 3 story house and we were going to remove the carpet on the top floor and replace it with engineered flooring. The 2nd floor has the downstairs bed rooms, their bathrooms and the utility room and the subflooring between the 3rd and 2nd floors is the joist space sandwiched between the 3/4" ply subflooring and the sheet rock ceiling of the second floor. I think the contractor checked the moisture and said it was fine but the tile work in the bathroom on the top floor was thin set higher then that of the kitchen (perhaps to allow for the shower). There is about a 12 foot distance separating the kitchen tile and the beginning of the bathroom tile that was shimmed and carpeted and we were wondering if we were better off redoing the tile or if using thicker engineered flooring and some sort of additional plywood would allow us to keep the tile in both bathroom and kithchen. Any suggestions?
Agreed, that is all
FloorMaven
Well-Known Member
jnw8w8 said:
Installing a plywood underlayment to add height is a common practice. 3/8" ply is actually 11/32" but you can make up the difference by using felt paper under, on top or both. Normally you'll use paper on top anyway. 11/32 fir, utility grade plywood runs about 50¢ sf. You could certainly raise that plywood from underneath at the bath but you'll lose level and it would take an installer who not only had the ability to think outside the box but was also very detail oriented.
FloorMaven
Well-Known Member
jnw8w8 said:
Usually not but prudence dictates the longer the better. Floor should be monitored with a moisture meter.
LeePelletier
Well-Known Member
I think it's worth repeating FloorMaven's advice to check the moisture level in the subfloor.
And just because you checked it and it was OK, doesn't mean that it won't change as the seasons change. Running climate control year round is important.
You mention that the house overhangs, but I'm not sure if it is the entire house, or specifically the floor you are doing. It it is the floor you are doing, then some sort of moisture barrier is in order. But if the floor you are doing has habitable space underneath the entire area, then you probably don't need the moisture barrier.
Moisture ruins many floors.
Good luck with your project.
And just because you checked it and it was OK, doesn't mean that it won't change as the seasons change. Running climate control year round is important.
You mention that the house overhangs, but I'm not sure if it is the entire house, or specifically the floor you are doing. It it is the floor you are doing, then some sort of moisture barrier is in order. But if the floor you are doing has habitable space underneath the entire area, then you probably don't need the moisture barrier.
Moisture ruins many floors.
Good luck with your project.
