My brother-in-law swore by using a 3/4 inch plywood subfloor, but my contractor friend said it was overkill for my old house in Portland. | DIY Home Projects - Talk Freely
My brother-in-law swore by using a 3/4 inch plywood subfloor, but my contractor friend said it was overkill for my old house in Portland.
I was redoing a bedroom and my brother-in-law, who's a hobbyist, insisted I needed the thicker plywood to stop any bounce. My contractor friend said the existing joists were fine and 5/8 inch would save money and weight. I went with the 3/4 inch and now the floor feels like concrete, but I spent an extra $200. Has anyone else had to choose between DIY advice and pro advice on material thickness?
Honestly, did you ever think you'd care so much about a floor feeling solid? I used to laugh at my brother-in-law going on about joist spacing and subfloor glue. But after living with a bouncy floor in our old place, I totally get it now, @robin_bennett78. That firm feeling under your feet every day makes a huge difference you don't notice until it's wrong. It's one of those things that feels like a silly extra cost until you experience the good version.
it's "joist spacing" not "joist spacing" haha sorry i'm being that guy now. but yeah you're totally right, once you live with a solid floor you can't go back.