Kitchen floor rotted.

mtlangr

My kitchen floor has laminate flooring that was buckling real bad around the sink and refridgerator. So, the other day I explored to see if the wood underneath the laminate flooring was the reason the floor had buckled. Unfortunately, all of the wood around the sink has rotted. The final layer of wood has a hole through it. My next approach was to pull up the rest of the laminate flooring and check the status of the remaining kitchen floor, then replace the last layer of wood which is nailed to the beam. I have never performed such tasks before but I am mechanically inclined. Where should I start?

jproffer

Have you already removed the laminate flooring? If so, is there anything else besides subfloor (the last layer before the joists)?

Assuming you are (or are able to get) down to the final layer of subfloor. You will need to know which direction the joists run. Mark off the section that needs to be replaced. The cut line that runs parallel to the joists will need to fall in the center of the nearest joist beyond the bad section. Set the foot on your circular saw so that you only cut the thickness of the plywood and not into the joists. After it's cut free, remove it, cut a new piece for that area, attach it with construction adhesive on each joist and screws.

Hope all this makes sense, sometimes it's easier to do than to put into words. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Mike Swearingen

Depending upon when your home was built, you should have two layers under the vinyl flooring, the flooring and the subflooring.
You will need a circular saw with an old blade (you WILL hit nails), a crowbar, flat bar and claw hammer.
As jproffer said, set the blade depth so that it only cuts through flooring and not into any joists.
Cut down the middle of the nearest joists outside the rotted area, and a straight line between joists. It's usually easier to remove no more than a couple of square feet at a time, if the rotted area is large.
Install 2X crosspieces between the joists, halfway under the old, good subflooring and half into the removed open area for gluing and nailing or screwing to in addition tho the main joists.
I always use pressure-treated plywood when replacing rotted flooring anywhere that there is water likely to damage it again.
Good Luck!
Mike

Ducowti

Ahh, yes, good tip!