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Sub Flooring...?

We have a connecting floor from the kitchen into the living room only seprated by the archway & floor saddle. I want to put a new kitchen floor down & was told to throw 1/2 inch plywood on top of exsisting floor and then cover the plywood w the armstrong vinal flooring. It all makes sense, but im worried about where the living room & kitchen floors meet, the kitchen floor will be half inch higher. I really dont want a little 'step' when entring one room from another. Is there a special saddle for this half inch difference? Is half inch plywood to thick? If so, what should I use instead?. I hope i explained my problem & delema correctly. thank you all in advance ...Doug

Public Comments

  1. if you are going to replace subfloor its because its warped or broken. take it out. if you have a circular saw you can set it to just just over the 3/4 of the old subfloor and cut it out so you can replace it correctly. if the subfloor is okay and you dont have squeaks or high spots you can keep the old floor.
  2. you can use 1/4 in plywood and not have as high a step up
  3. You should not need 1/2" plywood. I would go with 1/4" and then you could bevel it at that joint.
  4. You cant use regular plywood the glu wont stick properly ther is a special plywood w/ mahogony on one side , use quarter inch and use a thresh hold strip youll never know the diferance but if there isnt any problems with the existing floor you could glue the new flooring to the old i hope ive been of some help.
  5. If all your doing is putting down vinyl, I would recommend 1/4 inch AC plywood. Make sure you fasten It good.
  6. Visit your local home store and check out the flooring department. They sell transitions for just such a problem. I have found the best selection in the wood flooring section of the store.
  7. The plywood is only to provide a smooth surface to stick the flooring to. Depending upon the condition of the old floor, it may be quicker and cheaper to cover it up instead of removing the old flooring. 1/4" will work but you will still have a small step at the joint. There are many wooden moulding pieces that will provide a clean transition. Look in the flooring section of your local home center. But here's the problem. a 1/4" step is so small that you can't get a good looking transition moulding. If you're going to have a transition anyway, a 1/2" may look better. But... Take a close look at removing the old flooring. I don't know what type it is but it just may come up with a bit of work. In the end, no transition would likely look the best and be worth the extra labor. Good luck!