The question is often
asked. What type of underlayment do installers
use for nailing down hardwood floors?
The consensus varies and seems to have more to
do with regional habits or preferences.
Additionally, neither of these products offer
what many consumers are led to believe; a
moisture barrier.
Why Use It? Where Did
It Start?
Rosin paper was
originally used as a protective barrier on
wood subfloors not for moisture, but a method
installers could use to keep plaster dust from
getting in their eyes or blasting everywhere
when a board was nailed in the old fashioned
way, by hand. If you're familiar with the fine
material that makes up plaster or drywall dust
one can better understand the purpose. It also
provided a smoother surface to slide boards
around on older diagonal laid subfloors.
The National Wood
Flooring Association (NWFA) offers the use of
#15 or # 30 asphalt saturated felt paper or an
asphalt laminated paper as an approved vapor
retarder. These products are installed by
rolling out on to the subfloor before
installing nail or staple down products. While
overlapping of underlayment on the #15 is
often up for debate, the #30 pound product
will be too thick for this purpose and should
be butted together.
How About Plastic
Film or Visqueen?
These products should
not be used on wood subfloors as they only
serve to trap moisture and can lead to mold
growth under the right conditions.
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