I have been a tradesman in residential and commercial companies for 23 years, and I would like to help you beguile some pitfalls in floor installation. The most important factors to consider in flooring preparation are moisture considerations, correct support in the subfloor, inconsistencies in the subfloor, and severely tilting floor scenarios.
At the starting phase of a work situation it is important to analyze the moisture levels of the air in the area, the moisture of the flooring to be installed, and the moisture of the subfloor in the installation location. I would suggest keeping the flooring planks in the area where it is going to be installed for a minimum of 1 week prior to installation, but preferably for a month to properly calibrate the three moisture issues mentioned. In addition, be careful to ensure that the moisture barrier between the subfloor and the installation flooring is sufficient so that the subfloor doesn't manipulate the flooring during distinctive periods of the season.
I would suggest that you walk over all areas of the flooring of the floor to choose how resilient the floor is. Does the subfloor have movement when you walk over it? Does the flooring bow, whine when you walk on it? It is important to screw down any flabby areas of the subfloor. Also, if you are going to construct your subflooring in the same course as the flooring joists you should in most instances give extra joist support under the subfloor. If the subfloor has any flux or is poorly supported the end result could be a flooring project that will not last or become broken due to lack of foresight.
When a flooring job has problems in the flooring surface they can be dealt with in a variety of ways. If the inconsistencies aren't too harsh you can fill holes or spaces in the surface of the subfloor with filler materials designed for this reason. If the amount or imperfections in the subfloor are more crucial it might be best to install a layer of nice smooth faced plywood over the entire subfloor surface. On many of my own jobs this was the best way to handle imperfections and critical resiliency problems. The way the destroyed subfloor was installed and the direction of your flooring joist will determine the best direction to run the layer of subfloor. In the most crucial situations when the subfloor is rotted or badly destroyed it might be necessary to tear out the existing subfloor and reinstall the subfloor. But this type of correction is needed in only the worst of situations.
One of the final types of situations that arise on some jobs is inadequately tilting subfloor. This type of problem could be easily take up several volumes on its own, but I will only concisely touch on the solutions here. I would recommend you have an knowledgeable expert look at your particular dilemma. But if the problem is bad you might have to jack the subfloor and lay new or additional supporting columns for the flooring. In minor situations where the slope is modest you might be able to just trowel leveling compound to correct the situation.
In conclusion, I would urge you to take the time to look at these circumstances on your own work situation so that your flooring can last for generations to come and be applauded by your friends and relatives.
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