Subfloor preparation
Wood subfloor preparation and screeding in Shropshire
Get the subfloor right and the floor lasts
Nearly every flooring complaint we are called out to look at is a subfloor problem: a hollow under vinyl, board lines showing through LVT, a springy patch under carpet, or damp lifting adhesive on a solid floor. Preparation is the least visible part of a flooring job and by far the most important, so we quote for it honestly instead of hiding it.
Shropshire has a lot of older housing stock — Victorian terraces, farm conversions, timber-framed cottages — where floors have moved for a century. We survey what is there, tell you what it needs, and only then talk about coverings.
Plywood, latex screed, primer and membranes
On suspended timber floors we screw down 6mm or 9mm plywood in a staggered pattern to bridge board joints and stop movement. On concrete and anhydrite slabs we prime and apply latex smoothing compound to take out dips, trowel marks and old adhesive ridges. Where there is no working damp-proof course, or a slab reads high on a moisture meter, we lay a liquid or sheet damp-proof membrane before anything else.
This work stands on its own for builders and developers too — we regularly prepare floors ahead of another trade fitting the covering.
What is included
- Plywood overlay to timber floors
- Latex smoothing compound
- Damp-proof membranes
- Free measure and itemised written quote across Shropshire
Where we fit wood & subfloor prep
We fit subfloor preparation throughout Shropshire. These are the towns we are asked for most often — each page explains what to expect locally.
- Wood & subfloor prep fitting in Shrewsbury
- Wood & subfloor prep fitting in Telford
- Wood & subfloor prep fitting in Oswestry
- Wood & subfloor prep fitting in Bridgnorth
- Wood & subfloor prep fitting in Ludlow
- Wood & subfloor prep fitting in Market Drayton
- Wood & subfloor prep fitting in Newport
- Wood & subfloor prep fitting in Whitchurch
- Wood & subfloor prep fitting in Wem
- Wood & subfloor prep fitting in Shifnal
- Wood & subfloor prep fitting in Church Stretton
- Wood & subfloor prep fitting in Much Wenlock
Wood & subfloor prep questions we are asked
- Why does my new floor need plywood underneath?
- Floorboards move, and their joints and screw heads eventually print through thin coverings like vinyl and LVT. A screwed plywood overlay gives a flat, rigid, continuous surface so the covering stays smooth.
- How long does latex screed take to dry?
- Most latex smoothing compounds are walkable within a few hours and ready to cover the same or next day depending on depth, temperature and product. We plan the fitting date around it.
- Do you carry out subfloor preparation on its own?
- Yes. We regularly ply, screed or membrane floors for builders, developers and homeowners who have another trade fitting the covering afterwards.
Ready for a free measure and quote?
Tell us the rooms and we will come out, measure up and give you a written price with no obligation.