After more than 20 years in the flooring industry, I’ve learned that one of the most important parts of a beautiful, long-lasting floor is something you may never actually see: the subfloor underneath it.
I often compare it to the tires on a car. You can have a beautiful vehicle, but what connects it to the road matters. Flooring works much the same way. The finished hardwood, luxury vinyl or carpet is only as good as the surface supporting it.
Not every subfloor is the same. A home may have plywood, OSB, concrete or even an older material beneath the existing flooring. Each presents different considerations and can affect which flooring products and installation methods are appropriate.
Before installing a new floor, we look at what’s underneath and determine what preparation may be necessary. Plywood may need to be repaired, replaced or properly secured. Older underlayment may need to be removed. Concrete may require grinding, patching or leveling to create a smooth, stable surface.
Why does this matter?
Because imperfections underneath a floor can eventually show themselves on top. Uneven areas can cause movement, visible irregularities, premature wear and other problems that may affect the appearance and performance of the finished floor. Proper preparation is especially important with today’s hard-surface flooring, where imperfections in the substrate can sometimes “telegraph” through the finished product.
At Allgood Floors, we believe a flooring project should be done correctly from the bottom up. Our responsibility isn’t simply to sell you a beautiful floor. We want to understand what is underneath it, address potential concerns and create the proper foundation before the new flooring is installed.
After all, the part of your new floor you’ll never see may be one of the most important parts of the entire project. Learn more at allgoodfloors.com.
Any content, resident submissions, guest columns, advertisements, and advertorials are not necessarily endorsed by or represent the views of Best Version Media LLC (BVM) or any municipality, homeowners associations, businesses, or organizations that this publication serves. BVM is not responsible for the reliability, suitability, or timeliness of any content submitted, inclusive of materials generated or composed through artificial intelligence (AI). All content submitted is done so at the sole discretion of the submitting party.
