| What kind of underlayment
used with hardwood flooring is often a mix mash of
opinions depending on who you talk with. Below
we've listed types generally used with different
types of installations.
Floating Floors
 All
floating floors need a cushioned underlayment, and
carpet is not one of them. 3-1 or three in one is
the most common used underlayment. 3 in 1 stands for three
sections of the underlayment.
| • Plastic film
attached |
| • Foam attached to
plastic film |
| • Sticky peel off
tape |
3-1 underlayment is very
basic but does perform the job. Other types are
considered upgrades and will cost more. Some names
include The Floor Muffler® Quiet Stride® from
Kahrs, Quiet Walk®, Sound Solutions to name a few
of the more popular ones. In addition, sheet or
roll cork is widely used for sound control and
flooring in high rise apartments or condominiums.
See link below.
Nail Down
or Stapled Wood Floors
Underlayment
choices for solid hardwood installations fastened
to wood subfloors also vary depending on who you
speak with. For years the National Wood Flooring
Association (NWFA) has been recommending common
15# roofing paper. Until recent this type of
underlayment had been advocated as a moisture
retarder and not a moisture barrier many
assumed. Recent product innovations such as
AquaBar (PDF) are now being used for wood subfloor
installations, but still is not a guarantee
against moisture migration.
You may also
find red rosin paper being touted as the
underlayment choice for solid hardwood
floors. This product has the least amount of
moisture protection properties as the ones
mentioned above. The product was first used when
plastered walls were common. Installers would lay
the paper over the wood subfloor only to prevent
plaster dust from getting all over the place when
nailing in hardwood floors.
Glue Down
Hardwood Floors
Glued hardwood
floors with adhesives do not require an
underlayment unless certain situations come into
play. In recent years with the importance of
moisture testing and concrete subfloors, vinyl is
sometimes used as a moisture barrier when concrete
moisture content is unacceptable.
Other
alternatives for moisture protection include
Bostiks MVP (PDF). The product is
applied by the same method as glue down floors
with the company warranting it's performance if
used by their specifications. MVP is also known to
provide some sound deadening properties on wood
subfloors.
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