Hardwood flooring sub floor problem

campbell804

Good day all;

I just ripped up some laminate that was in the master bedroom, and am going to lay hardwood 3/4" x 3 1/4". In the subfloor where the OSB butts up together over the floor joyce they have pressed up together and raised causeing a very uneven part in the floor. How do I fix this or work around it ?

Scott

woodman58

From what you discribe you can use a belt sander to sand to joints down.

Daniel Holzman

OSB is prone to expansion if it gets moist, which is I suspect what happened. It is supposed to be installed with a 1/8 inch gap between sheets to reduce the chance of upraising if the subfloor gets damp, or absorbs moisture from the air. I am guessing the subfloor was installed without a gap, and while you can certainly sand the joint down, there is a chance the subfloor will raise up at the same location, causing an uneven floor.

I suggest you cut a 1/8 inch gap into the subfloor between the sheets, if there is no gap. Use a circular saw with a track, and use a carbide nail cutting blade. Set the depth to the thickness of the subfloor, and cut the grooves in. Once cut, you can sand smooth and you will most likely have permanently cured the problem.

campbell804

Thanks alot gentleman for your hasty replies

I have already cut the grooves and it worked great !!! Now I just have to get my hands on a belt sander to sand down what already has been pushed up. Should be laying the hardwood tomorrow now.

Thanks

Scott