Is A Moisture Barrier Necessary For Wood Floors

Moisture barriers are for going over concrete or to cover the top soil in a crawl space.

Is a moisture barrier necessary for wood floors.

Some debate still occurs over how necessary vapor barriers are but a consensus is growing closer. A vapor retarder is a material used to prevent water vapor from diffusing into the wall ceiling or floor during the cold winter. What is your thoughts on this. Is it necessary or would you just make sure the.

You don t want wood to wood. It insulates and cushions the flooring making it more comfortable to walk on. Most authorities now agree that vapor barriers are important under certain conditions but not necessarily as a whole house solution for every home. And it is always the moisture difference between one side of the board and the other that cause warping.

The underlayment provides many benefits including moisture protection sound and thermal insulation and a cushion to make the floor more comfortable to walk on. Moist concrete concrete may seem very dense but it is actually full of small pores that will absorb water from the ground. The warranty may require it. In your case you don t need the vapor barrier.

The original hardwood floors 2 1 4 white oak were installed on top of 5 8 plywood which sits on 15 felt as a vapor barrier. Typically we recommend visqueen vapor barrier underlayment on a cement subfloor where there is a concern of moisture coming up from the subfloor. In circumstances where conditions inside a home or office are much different than outdoor conditions water. When you live in a damp climate with a crawl space under the floor a lot of things have to be done to prevent moisture from the ground from entering the hardwood floor.

800 sq ft and have received conflicting information about where i should use a moisture sound barrier or glue down with nails w o the moisture barrier. Along with the moisture barrier you may want to install an underlayment. For moisture barriers there are three basic methods of protection. An underlayment is a necessity for any wood floor installation even on a plywood subfloor.

Asphalt felt or rosin paper as a slip sheet when on the second story of the residence. I am in the process of laying hardwood floor on a subfloor approx. A moisture barrier is need to protect the flooring against moisture or moisture vapor. Resolution of the vapor barrier debate.

To know if you need a vapor retarder ask yourself a few basic questions. When installing certain types of flooring such as sheet vinyl the. A couple of the hardwood floor contractors recommended that a concrete sealer be installed prior to putting down new felt and plywood. A moisture barrier may or may not be needed to insure good adhesion of your vinyl floor so do your homework to avoid problems later on down the road.

But there are exceptions to this. The vapor barrier will prevent the moisture from coming through and protect your floor from mold and mildew.