Chipboard or plywood subfloor?

Chopio

Which is better - chipboard or plywood - for evening out very wonky floorboards in preparation for laying a new solid wood floor?

I've just started renovating an old victorian terrace house and hopefully I'll be putting in a solid wood floor downstairs and some kind of carpet on the stairs and upstairs. I've got next to no diy experience but from some basic googling it seems you are supposed to screw down some 18mm plywood to the floorboards to make an even surface, then lay down the underlay and then finally the solid wood floor or carpet on top.

Is this really necessary though? Plywood that thick is really expensive! A builder working on the house said that he would just lay down some thinner chipboard and that would do the same job.

This looks to be much cheaper but will I pay for it in the long run?

ormus

as long as you get the flooring grade chipboard youll be ok. its made for the job. (ps. its usually green).
dont use the normal mdf general useage type. thats ok for furniture and shelves etc...

Chopio

Thanks Ormus. Do you know if it would make any difference to noise levels?

ormus

it will help very slightly. if theres a real noise problem then you could fix say 2x2 battens and some rockwool. then the flooring on top.

DirectDebacle

I am assuming that you are not laying a solid wood floor but putting down some sort of laminate flooring?

Why? Are the original boards rotten (in which case that needs to be sorted out first) or are they just uneven and have gaps. Uneveness of floors is normal in houses of that age and is caused by the boards cupping and bowing over time. Easily dealt with by sanding and with a little practice should be within most peoples capabilities. Plenty of info on how to do it on the net and elsewhere.

Result: Superior floor to any laminate you can buy, totally original and in keeping with the period of the house. Do it yourself and have the satisfaction of having learnt something and saved yourself money on installing an apology for a proper floor.

Chopio

I wish the original boards were good enough to keep. Unfortunately they are just too badly damaged - lots of mismatched replacements, big gaps, huge rat holes etc. I've tried taking some up and turning them over to see if the underside was any better but I don't think the end result will be worth it as there was just old wood worm holes and more bendy bits.

I'm looking to install a solid oak floor or a solid strand woven bamboo. Hopefully it will make a nice sealed floor with no gaps/cracks/rodent routes, and it will be smooth and easy to keep clean.

Another thing that troubles me about the idea of chipboard (and the bamboo) is the stuff I've read online about formaldyhyde and VOC toxins. Would a solid oak on top of plywood be significantly less toxic?

keystone

DirectDebacle wrote: »

I am assuming that you are not laying a solid wood floor but putting down some sort of laminate flooring?

Why? OP said solid wood n'est pas?

Cheers

keystone

Chopio wrote: »

I wish the original boards were good enough to keep.

If they are that bad I'd rip the whole lot out and lay ply (chipboard at a push) direct to the joists. You then have a flat stable substrate for the installation of your new floor. Don't forget that old floorboards, plus ply plus your new floor will equal a nice big step at your doorway and big trouble with your skirtings.

Unfortunately they are just too badly damaged - lots of mismatched replacements, big gaps, huge rat holes etc

Usually thats called character.

I'm looking to install a solid oak floor or a solid strand woven bamboo. Hopefully it will make a nice sealed floor with no gaps/cracks/rodent routes, and it will be smooth and easy to keep clean.

Don't use solid, use engineered hardwood. Real treewood top layer with no danger of warping or twisting which solid does all too often.

Another thing that troubles me about the idea of chipboard (and the bamboo) is the stuff I've read online about formaldyhyde and VOC toxins. Would a solid oak on top of plywood be significantly less toxic?

You are reading too much TBH.

Cheers