Glossary term
Subfloor
Definition
The structural floor surface beneath your floor covering — usually concrete, timber floorboards or chipboard. Its condition and flatness strongly affect which floors suit and how much preparation is needed.
The subfloor is what your new flooring sits on. It matters enormously: hard floors like LVT and laminate need a flat, dry subfloor, while sheet vinyl shows any lumps beneath it.
Common subfloors are solid concrete (often in ground floors and newer homes) and suspended timber (floorboards or chipboard, often upstairs and in older homes). Each has its own preparation needs.
What to check
- Whether it's concrete, timber or chipboard
- How flat and level it is
- Whether it's dry — important for new concrete and moisture-sensitive floors