What Do You Use Under Hardwood Floors

The consensus varies and seems to have more to do with regional habits or preferences.

What do you use under hardwood floors.

Its a piece of paper. Not a magic layer. The key to a beautiful long lasting hardwood or laminate floor is a well prepared subfloor. There are several different mixtures to use for hardwood floors and you ll.

It is installed over the plywood underlayment just before the hardwood flooring is laid. I am in the process of buying solid hardwood maple flooring 2 1 4 with 3 4 thickness i have been researching the web and have found numerous opinions pros and cons on the use of a proper underlayment. Hardwood flooring can increase your home s value. However if you do choose this installation method you still need an underlayment but you can t use a conventional one.

Before you install your plywood subfloor first calculate the room s square footage to find out how much flooring you ll need to buy. Your first task is preparing the surface that the hardwood will lie on which means deciding whether you need to use felt paper under the hardwood. If you plan to nail or staple your hardwood floor in place virtually any underlayment can be used. An example is proflex90 a peel and stick rubberized fabric sheet product that can be used under finished hardwood floors.

Note that the underlayment you purchase should be specifically marked for use with hardwood floors not for carpets. Plywood underlayment is a thin plywood material that is most commonly used under resilient flooring materials such as vinyl and linoleum sheets and tiles. I ve installed for 20 years and do not use paper. It can also be used under hardwood laminate and carpet but this is much less common these days because subflooring is typically smooth enough for these materials many of which are installed with a different type of underlayment or pad.

Additionally neither of these products offer what many consumers are led to believe. You apply this product which you ll find at flooring outlets with a trowel. What type of underlayment do installers use for nailing down hardwood floors. Once it dries it provides a suitable substrate for the adhesive you use to secure the floor.

The need for paper under hardwood is a myth. Hardwood floors add a beautiful touch to just about any room but there s some debate about the best way to clean them. While manufacturers have made hardwood floors easy to install you do need to take a few steps to prepare the room to make installation easier. There is no difference in sound.

A true moisture barrier. The question is often asked. Carpet padding does not provide enough support for hardwood floors and is often too thick for nail installation. This membrane is waterproof and it offers a limited degree of sound control when used with hardwood floors.

If you want a silent relatively silent hardwood floor then screw down your subfloor and use the glue down installation method.