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zack_neward

Question for installing laminate over hardwood -underlayments

Zack Neward
8 years ago

I have been a long time Lurker. Thanks in advance to your amazing community that has helped me in the past with your insight!

Yes
we plan on installing laminate over hard wood. After significant
research into the subject I am sure I need to have a darn good
explanation before I start getting the "what are you thinking!"
arguments.

So here is the quick question and then below this will be the explanation to appease people that hate laminate:

If
I am installing laminate over a raised hardwood sub-floor (Crawl Space
underneath) can I use the same 3 in 1 underlayment that has a moisture
barrier that I am using on the slab portion of my home over the
hardwood? I think this is ok since it is floating but would not be ok
if it was hardwood over slab.

Bonus question:

Assuming
that moisture in the slab portion of my home is not major is just the
typical 3 in 1 underlayment enough of a moisture barrier or do need a
seperate vapor barrier?


_______________________________________________________________

(only read below if the following question pertains to you)
But Zack WHY would you do this? Who installs laminate over hardwood?:

_______________________________________________________________

Hey having hardwood everywhere would be cool but here is why we are wanting to do laminate:

-
Our home was built in 1950 and expanded in 1980 and 2000, so there are
three sections to our home: Original section is raised hardwood floor
with crawlspace underneath (great floor can refinish). Second section
is ugly tile over slab. Latest section is that same tile over a raised
subfloor again.

-The slab on the middle section is about level with the wood floor so with tile it's a little higher.

-Half the house is hardwood and half is slab or raised flooring with tile over it.

We
are doing laminate because we like the look, it is cheaper, it will
protect the original wood and, most importantly, with two kids it is the
least intrusive way to change the flooring. Also doing 3/4 we would
have to change out all doors and the transition would be about a
different of an inch between old hardwood and new and that is in an
obvious area (not bad really but the laminate I think will run level
right through which is cool).

We would have done engineered (can
glue down direct to slab which is great) that could be refinished and
would have solved our problem BUT our oak floor is 2-1/4 and finding
that in engineered is almost impossible. You guys no a place that sells
2-1/4 engineered gunstock oak pre-finished that can be refinished and
that is probably your best chance to convince me to stray from laminate
at this point.

Hopefully this is a good enough explanation. We
can always go to wood in the future so I look at the cost of laminate
over 15 years or so to be not that great since we would have to refinish
in that time anyways.

Ok if after reading you still think I am crazy or know where 2-1/4 engineered gluedown prefinished gunstock is let me know.

Comments (11)

  • Kivi
    8 years ago
    I don't think I would be eager to install a complete moisture barrier between your new laminate and your existing wood floor. I don't think trapping potential moisture vapor into that layer is a good idea. Yes for the areas of tile on concrete, but I would be very concerned about trapping moisture into any wood layer under your laminate.
    Zack Neward thanked Kivi
  • Zack Neward
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Patricia - your house is immaculately clean! I was thinking over EVERYTHING including the old hardwood so it would look the same.


    Kivi - So I should use the 3 in 1 over Slab and the find a pad only for over hardwood?

  • Zack Neward
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Thanks Kivi I was thinking that as long as it's raised then moisture would not get trapped but it sounds like it is better to air on safety?


    Fyil this is what I was looking at:


    http://www.amazon.com/Roberts-First-Premium-Flooring-Underlayment/dp/B00996UQPK

  • Kivi
    8 years ago
    Yes I would use an approved non vapour retarding pad on the wood area, and the vapour retarding pad on the concrete/tile section.
    Zack Neward thanked Kivi
  • PRO
    Patricia Colwell Consulting
    8 years ago

    What I love about that flooring is it shows nothing i sometimes forget to wash it for weeks.

  • Zack Neward
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Kivi one last question if you don't mind, and you have been great. Since I am in Florida and in the summer my wood floor that has a crawlspace slightly cups (then goes to normal) I am screwed if I put laminate down without a vapor barrier right?


    I think this is the case so I will have to rip up tile and lay real wood in the future but can't do the laminate over the wood because if I want to save the wood no vapor barrier but then the laminate gets moisture because I am in Florida.

    This comes up after extra research. Thanks again man, really appreciate i!


  • Kivi
    8 years ago
    I was going to ask you how stable your current wood floor was. Given that you say it happens more in summertime weather, I would think that the wood floor is swelling more because of ambient summer humidity rather than humidity from the crawl space. If that is the case it could be that the laminate with the pad ( not vapor barrier) would act as a bit of a buffer to the wood floor underneath in the sense that it slows down how quickly the wood floor reacts to the changing humidity levels. It could be that it actually makes your wood floor more dimensionally stable than it is currently. If the laminate you choose also reacts slightly to the changes in humidity, I doubt it makes any difference whether you have the vapor layer in some areas and not in others, because it is the ambient humidity that it is absorbing anyway...not moisture from below. Just make sure you leave the proper gaps around the perimeter of the rooms so that the laminate has some room for its expansion phases. I don't think you are screwed putting down the laminate as long as you execute it with a good plan.
    Zack Neward thanked Kivi
  • _sophiewheeler
    8 years ago

    If you don't have a vapor barrier under your slab and your crawlspace, you are screwed. Nothing you do will keep the wood sandwich from rotting.

    Zack Neward thanked _sophiewheeler
  • Zack Neward
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Sophie so you think I need to lay a vapor barrier over the soil in crawlspace to prevent the wood from rotting? If I put a vapor barrier over the soil would I still not but a vapor barrier under the laminate?

  • Zack Neward
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Thanks Kivi yeah the cupping is small and only happens in summer. I will confirm with manufacturer so you think just foam no vapor barrier over the wood! Do you think it is worth it to lay a vapor barrier under the house over the soil just to be safe?


    Kivi your help is epic!