Vinyl flooring on top of plywood subfloor

[pete6032]

I have a 10x10 bedroom on the second floor of a 1940s home. The bedroom has carpeting and a plywood subfloor. Subfloor redone maybe in the 1990s. What are the chances that I will need to level out the floor prior to installing the vinyl? Close to 100%? I see a lot of videos of people using self leveling compound on the floor. I'm a little apprehensive since home is old and this is on a second story. Any thoughts? Or do I just have to rip up the carpet before I can determine anything?

 

[Greenman]

Vinyl requires a pretty smooth surface, defects in the sub floor will be visible. Best practice is to put down 3/8" high density particle board and hit the seams with fixall for a smooth transition.

 

[crashtech]

Is the attatchment method for HDF glue and screw? As a slight digression, should something different be used for a bathroom?

 

[Greenman]

Is the attatchment method for HDF glue and screw? As a slight digression, should something different be used for a bathroom?

I've always used 1 1/8 staples 4" OC. In bathrooms I always primed the edges and 6 or 8" back from the tub. There could be better methods that I'm not aware of as I haven't used vinyl flooring in a project for at least 20 years. My clients always want tile in the bathroom.

 

[pete6032]

Vinyl requires a pretty smooth surface, defects in the sub floor will be visible. Best practice is to put down 3/8" high density particle board and hit the seams with fixall for a smooth transition.

So, pull up carpet, remove carpet stapes, tacks, etc. Then put down particle board on top of subfloor and then put vinyl in?

 

[Greenman]

So, pull up carpet, remove carpet stapes, tacks, etc. Then put down particle board on top of subfloor and then put vinyl in?

Yup.
Place the vinyl exactly where it goes, then roll back one side, spread the glue then roll the vinyl back into the glued area. Do the same thing for the other side.

 

[repoman0]

The vinyl planks with a little bit of padding underneath that snap together seem to tolerate a non-level floor really well. I put that stuff in my kitchen (over a plywood subfloor) with no visible issues or problems with it compressing as I walk over it.

I had it put down in my finished basement too over concrete that isn’t even close to flat .. really impressed with the end result.

More expensive and labor intensive but not terrible either, and imo can look a lot better. No glue needed, it just floats

 

[pete6032]

The vinyl planks with a little bit of padding underneath that snap together seem to tolerate a non-level floor really well. I put that stuff in my kitchen (over a plywood subfloor) with no visible issues or problems with it compressing as I walk over it.

I had it put down in my finished basement too over concrete that isn’t even close to flat .. really impressed with the end result.

More expensive and labor intensive but not terrible either, and imo can look a lot better. No glue needed, it just floats

What brand?

 

[deadlyapp]

I think you could probably put self leveler over - just seal the edges before pouring - but as others have said, with the higher end vinyl planks they usually have a few mm cushion that does a decent job. Put a long level over the top and see how bad the floor actually is.

 

[repoman0]

What brand?

Low-mid end Home Depot stuff in my kitchen, much nicer stuff from a real flooring store in my basement. The quality difference is noticeable but the HD stuff is fine and I’d take it over the standard vinyl rolls any day. Sorry, can’t remember the brand names. I’d recommend going to a flooring store and talking with them.

Edit: to give you an idea here is the awful concrete in my basement after ripping up the carpet (flooded last year, thanks for nothing sump pump). Also including an “after” picture in another part of the basement.