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Residential Structural Certifications
& Environmental Testing |
Flooring Inspections
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Flooring sets the tone for the look and feel of a room. But beyond
appearance, the choice of flooring material should be based on how a room is
used. If you must walk through a room from the front door to get to the rest of the house, the flooring in that room should stand up to heavy foot traffic—including the possibility of tracked-in mud. If you like to cook elaborate meals, the kitchen's flooring should be kind to your feet. Continue reading below or click the underlined items on the picture to see each item in more detail. |
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There are two main types of floors: raised floors that are
wood framed, and floors built on concrete slabs. Beneath a raised,
finished floor there is generally a subfloor, supported by joists and
beams, posts, and, in a two-story house, bearing walls. Joists may have
solid or diagonal bridging between them to provide extra strength. A slab
is just a flat, thick surface of concrete poured on the ground. If you are installing new flooring or making repairs to existing floors, you may need to know what kind of subfloor you have. A raised subfloor is typically constructed from 1-by-4 or 1-by-6 lumber or 4-by-8-foot plywood panels. With a lumber subfloor, boards are laid diagonally across joists. A plywood subfloor's panels are nailed to the joists, laid with the ends butted together. On a concrete slab, a plywood subfloor is typically laid over 2-by-4 wood sleepers that are fastened to the slab. |
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