Sub-floors are often an overlooked part of a home build, especially since the flooring system isn’t visible to homeowners. But builders and contractors should take a closer look at the flooring choice the homeowner has selected in order to build a solid base. While it’s true the industry has been quietly innovating sub-flooring for greater strength and stiffness, it’s important to factor in recent flooring trends when selecting a sub-floor. Floor trends are tipping the scales toward much heavier flooring, requiring sub-flooring to be stiff enough to resist long-term bending and buckling.
Currently, each square foot of sub-flooring must accommodate 10 lb. of dead load and 30–40 lb. of live load while maintaining its structural integrity.
Commodity-grade sub-flooring provides good performance for small- and average-sized homes that use vinyl or laminate flooring. For example, floating vinyl flooring planks weigh approximately 2–2.3 lb./sq. ft. Add people and furniture, and live loads should be well under the 30–40 lb. limit.
However, according to Realtor.com, the biggest trends in flooring are:
And in luxury homes, these top choices are trending:
Whether you’re building or remodeling a new home or building luxury houses these flooring trends are adding significant weight to each square foot of the house, making sub-flooring for heavy tile and hardwood critical.
Typical total installation weights for luxury flooring can quickly exceed the 10 lb. dead load accommodation. For example, natural stone tile can weigh up to 23 lb./sq. ft. When calculating for heavy flooring, luxury furniture and people, live loads can quickly exceed support capacity. no question that stronger and stiffer premium sub-flooring can help spread the load across multiple joists—not only creating a solid feel underneath, but also helping to carry the load.
Choosing sub-flooring for tile and sub-flooring for hardwood
LP Legacy® Premium Sub-Flooring made with Gorilla Glue Technology® is a super durable, premium, strand-based composite wood panel designed for demanding sub-floor applications that require exceptional stiffness. It’s one of the toughest sub-flooring panels in the industry, providing the density and stability needed to support heavy stone and ceramic floors, exotic hardwoods, and other heavy flooring options. It’s the ideal sub-flooring for tile—especially heavy natural and ceramic stone—and the ideal sub-flooring for hardwood.
Want more information on the durability of LP Legacy Premium Sub-Flooring? Check this Q&A about its extreme durability testing.
While board and batten siding is typically made of wood, it can also be made from vinyl, fiber cement or even steel. But if you’re worried about durability and curb appeal—and these days who isn’t?—engineered wood siding is a smarter buy compared to traditional wood siding because it mimics its look but features greater durability and easier maintenance.
Continue ReadingFlashing is a key part of the LP® SmartSide® Trim & Siding installation process, helping to protect homes from the elements by preventing moisture intrusion. When you are installing lap siding, incorrectly installed flashing may lead to moisture issues that can affect other aspects of the home, in addition to the siding.
When it comes to exterior cladding, homes require more than siding to protect them from the elements. Fascia and trim are two key elements that work together to create a protective barrier around the home, serving as a first line of defense along with siding.
In today’s landscape of high competition and new ways of interacting with clients, easy-to-access virtual resources have become even more important. That’s why LP® SmartSide® Trim & Siding is committed to providing you the tools you need to keep up with the changing landscape.