[OldDIYer70]

I'm redoing an attic and the daughter-in-law wants to put down a floating, interlocking wood floor. House is 60 years old with 3/4"x4" tongue and groove pine floor. Holiday's over and now back to work. I'm putting down 1/4" underlayment plywood over the tongue and groove and after looking at a home improvement book from a nat'l big box store, it says to space the underlayment 1/4" from walls and to gap the sheets the same 1/4". and then to fill and sand the sheet gaps with floor patching compound. The attic will be heated and AC'd when necessary. Is this spacing and particularly filling/sanding with compound necessary for my application? I'd really rather not do it if it is not necessary. Thanks for any input.

 

[oh'mike]

Not needed ---butt the sheets together---do leave a little space around the edges.

Bad advice in the book you are reading.

 

[OldDIYer70]

Next question before workin on this tonight. Any preference on 1" deck screws or 1" deck nails. I have both; hardware guy said nails, the how to book mentioned above says screws.

 

[Canarywood1]

Good advice from the book this time.

 

[oh'mike]

I use small crown staples---use the nails---screws dimple the underlayment .