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My house is only 10 years old. The vinyl flooring in the kitchen is original and needs to be replaced because it is yellowed, nicked, and generally looks bad. Someone from the store where I am purchasing the new flooring took measurements and told my my wife (I was not there) that the underlayment would have to be replaced ($150.00 worth) because the floor squeaks. Is this common practice?
If I remove the existing vinyl,fix the sqeaks, and level out the subfloor before flooring crews arrive to install the new vinyl floor, what would be valid reasons for replacing the underlayment?
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Dear Mark,
Only if the underlayment was damaged or was mahogany.
Good luck with your project.
*HEy gabe, what is wrong with mahogany?Typically floor squaeks are coused by your subfloor nails coming loose in the joists and as they ride up and down, they sqeak. This is a great reason to screw and glue your subfloors in new construction. Thats one of those extra touches the customer may never realize you did but it beats the hell out of them realizing you didn't do it.Anyhow, you may have to refasten the subfloor from above which would take it's toll on your existing underlayment unless you can devise a way to secure things from the underside of the floor (basement).Pete Draganic
*Here is another $64,000 question. Which underlayment do I use for vinyl? First the manufacturers told us lauan, then 1/4" structure board, then 1/4" pine and on and on. The excusses for vinyl failure run over the underlayment and it's installers like a river over rocks. Another common excuse is the fastner schedule. Not the right fastners, not enough fastners, staples, nails, then screews. Beware of any material that comes with a truck load of excusess. I hate using vinyl flooring as much if not more than vinyl siding. My best instincts tell me to use the materials the flooring installers recommend installed the way they recommend. I do it this way and when the vinyl fails, I pass the liability on to those who know best.
*I always use luan and nail it every four inches by four inches with 1&1/4" barbed shank, underlayment nails. Then fill all holes and seams so that it does not show through the flooring later on.Pete Draganic
*Pete,Mahogany contains a chemical that leaks through a lot of the vinyl tiles and/or sheatings and stains right into the vinyl.
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Mark,
start by elimanating squeaks from the subfloor. to do this, sneak some construction adheasive between the joists, and the subfloor from underneath. Then screw the subfloor down from above, right through the existing underlayment and vinyl flooring. This should take care of any squeaks. Without taking this step you will still have squaeks, but with one more layer of floor covering between them and your ear. Installers like to install thier own underlayment as a matter of safe practice in order to eliminate problems, and call backs. It is also quicker and easier than removing the existing flooring. It should cost between 30$ and 50$ per 4x8 sheet installed.
*we use two different vinyl installers. Both have us use 1/2 or 3/8ths particle board. Both have us use a layer of 15 pound felt between to help eliminate possible squeeks. We screw our floors but one of our installers says that screws are a waste and only use ringshanks (but we screw).We install the subfloor since we are already there doing other wood work. They then sand any seams(if needed) and float on a leveler to fill any low spots. If we are only laying vinyl then they do all the prep. However in your case if you are just laying in vinyl and they only want $150 to prep the floor and eliminate the squeks then let thme do it.We are at about $40 a sheet installed.Our vinyl guys are at about $60 a sheet.If I could get an average kitchen fully preped for $150 and let them deal with any squeks that might come up then let them go for it.But if you are paying them check to see if they gaurntee no squeeks and for how long
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True mahogany or lauan?
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In my experience of replacing vinyl I have always questioned whether there is a need to replace the underlayment in the first place. After dealing with plenty of older homes containing asbestos linoleum, I have found that if the existing vinyl is sound, ie not peeling up, it is often advantagous to trowel a liquid underlayment on to the existing vinyl. I've never had any problems with this practice, so I might suggest screwing down your squeaks, then going over it with the liquid underlayment.
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My house is only 10 years old. The vinyl flooring in the kitchen is original and needs to be replaced because it is yellowed, nicked, and generally looks bad. Someone from the store where I am purchasing the new flooring took measurements and told my my wife (I was not there) that the underlayment would have to be replaced ($150.00 worth) because the floor squeaks. Is this common practice?
If I remove the existing vinyl,fix the sqeaks, and level out the subfloor before flooring crews arrive to install the new vinyl floor, what would be valid reasons for replacing the underlayment?