Hardwood Floor Underlayment Over Crawl Space

When it comes to installing a new flooring material you sometimes have the option of installing the underlayment for your new floor directly on top.

Hardwood floor underlayment over crawl space.

Ceramic and stone tile will be too heavy and too difficult to install on the access door. Tile floors usually require an special underlayment on top of the subflooring. This underlayment for hardwood floors is more tear resistant and durable according to users. Many high rise buildings throughout the united states have requirements for hardwood installation.

Flooring over crawl spaces is a nightmare to begin with. We are installing an engineered hardwood oak floor in our living room. Black felt paper is rolled out over the wood subfloor prior to installing the new floor. Also the crawl space must be dry the basement floor poured all concrete cured moisture from drywall and paint allowed to dissipate and all doors and windows in place.

Over time moisture can get trapped between the moisture barrier protecting your hardwood flooring and the wood subfloor. The crawl space should also be checked for a minimum 6 mil black poly covered in stone overlapped and run up the walls. The major exception is any crawl space access door in the floor. The minimum height for a crawl space is 18 high and should have vents or a dehumidification system.

The space is located just above our crawlspace. This can cause the subfloor to warp and rot promoting mold growth and causing serious damage to your home. Hardwood floor installers use a modified underlayment on a building s second floor and any floors above that. Moisture can damage a hardwood floor irreversibly so every installation should include effective safeguards against it.

When installing hardwood choose a floor underlayment that provides a smooth surface over the subfloor. Every wood subfloor over a crawl space should be tested for moisture. For this reason every installation should include underlayment between the. This hardwood felt paper is necessary to greatly reduce the chance of any moisture coming up through the subfloor and will help protect the new hardwood flooring.

Laying underlayment over an existing flooring. The crawlspace is sealed with a 10 mil plastic and insulated along the foundation with a high grade spray foam. Prior to laying hardwood flooring osb floors must be dry ten percent moisture content or less free of debris with no joints or nail heads protruding. While rosin and tar paper are common options aquabar b underlayment from fortifiber is a top option.

If you re installing your hardwood floors over a wood subfloor you should avoid using a moisture barrier. Even if you think you don t need it and you re tempted not to use it it s always. With a staple down or nail down installation over a wood subfloor using solid flooring or engineered flooring it is recommended that an underlayment of 15lb.