Hardwood/laminate floor question

[wfopete]

How many of you have used felt roofing paper (15-30 WT) as an underlament/ vapor barrier for wood floors? Seems to me it would function in blocking moisture in the same manner as the pricey stuff flooring stores offer. As far as a sound deadener I don't know. Personally I like a solid feeling floor as opposed to some that have a foam cushion under them.

 

[kd3pc]

the red lead paper often used as an underlayment is quite different than standard roofing felt. I have seen both used, not sure how much moisture/vapor they block. Not much for blocking sound either.

The foam is to handle the movement inherent in laminate materials. It has to pretty much float, so expansion and contraction can do it's thing.

 

[straps57]

Its not working as a vapor barrier in my house. Long story short half the house has insulation and vapor barrier. The other has just insulation. Whole floor of the house has roofing felt underneath. The half with just insulation is cupping the half with vapor barrier is perfectly flat.

 

[yeldogt]

Overtime what we call felt paper has changed ... they may call something 15 or 30 -- but if you look at a roll from 30 years ago .........the 30 today is like 15 then.

Felt will actually allow vapor to pass -- it's slow ... but it occures. Rosen paper is more of a release layer ... In reality it's not doing much.

Why do you think you need the VB ? Felt can also off gas for a while as well.

 

[56Mark]

We finished a new house in July this year. We were torn between nice hardwood and a nice laminate. We went with the laminate because we have a large dog that is hard on floors. I don't like the clicky sound you get on laminates sometimes, so after a bunch of google searches I ended up using the felt from Cali. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Cali-Bamboo-100-sq-ft-Premium-3-mm-Flooring-Underlayment/1000193505
We have been in the house a few months now, and I would make the same decision again. This was installed on a wood sub-floor (advantech) above a full basement, so I wasn't really worried about a vapor barrier, but it does have one. Not a scratch yet from the dog and easy to clean. Most people that have came over thought it was real wood. It was also about 1/3 the cost of wood, so if we ever decide to change, we are not out so much $.

 

[yeldogt]

We finished a new house in July this year. We were torn between nice hardwood and a nice laminate. We went with the laminate because we have a large dog that is hard on floors. I don't like the clicky sound you get on laminates sometimes, so after a bunch of google searches I ended up using the felt from Cali. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Cali-Bamboo-100-sq-ft-Premium-3-mm-Flooring-Underlayment/1000193505
We have been in the house a few months now, and I would make the same decision again. This was installed on a wood sub-floor (advantech) above a full basement, so I wasn't really worried about a vapor barrier, but it does have one. Not a scratch yet from the dog and easy to clean. Most people that have came over thought it was real wood. It was also about 1/3 the cost of wood, so if we ever decide to change, we are not out so much $.

IMO -- the use of that product would depend on the climate --- the product itself looks to hold moisture?

 

[yeldogt]

The wood flooring trade group recommends retarders ... and they list the felt products that meet this standard.

Being an old house guy I have fixed and removed lots of old wood floors ... some with newsprint! I think you need to be careful when reading recommendations from some manufacturers ..... they are tying to sell products.

The key to building with wood is to always allow drying -- VB need to be used with care.

 

[DFB]

Whats the best stuff do use with an under floor heat system?

 

[yeldogt]

Whats the best stuff do use with an under floor heat system?

It depends -- a staple up system is inert. Some systems use Al -- my new build is Warmboard .... that has an AL sheet.

Frankly -- I have never understood the VB. I have often wondered if they really are speaking of a retarder. It's wood ...

Maybe in a new house with various building products all having been subjected to moisture -- it may be important to have some protection? It would be interesting to actually hear someone who as had a problem.

Lumber liquidators is all over the place -- they talk about VB .. and then mention felt. Naturally, they sell products that they want you to use. They recommend a VB when gluing down on a slab -- now tell me how does one glue to a VB ?

 

[southernfriedcj]

Under laminate we use plastic sheeting. Under hardwood we use 15lb felt.

As a builder I have built 900+ house with no complaints(regarding underlayment).

I have pulled up 75 year old red oak floors(in humid Georgia) from apartments and they had no underlayment and were perfect. I put them back down in my house.

 

[rsanter]

For the real wood flooring the felt paper is what it have always used.
For the laminate I have used the felt but I also used some of the other options as well