A moisture barrier should be used when installing vinyl plank flooring on top of concrete. If it's being installed on a plywood subfloor or existing flooring, this step can generally be skipped.
You can, and should, use an underlayment on all types of subfloors. On a plywood subfloor, you have your choice of installation methods. You can float your floors, staple your floors, or glue your floors.
Because a vapor barrier is a low permeable barrier, it keeps moisture from passing through. This is beneficial to keep moisture away from a dry surface but will trap moisture behind it if installed on a water-damaged concrete wall, causing the wall to fail further.
If you're gluing the new flooring to the subfloor, use a sander to remove paint, oil, wax, adhesives, sealers or other material and then thoroughly vacuum off dust and debris. Nail-down or floating floors may be installed over existing vinyl as long as it's no more than two layers thick.
Yes, a vapor barrier is essential on a concrete slab for a raised platformed wood floor to prevent moisture from affecting the wood. The barrier should be installed directly on the concrete slab before the wood flooring is placed. This helps protect the wood from potential moisture damage and mold growth.
Mostly concrete subfloors transmit moisture. Concrete is porous and allows moisture to pass through to your basement/room level. So if you have a concrete slab/subfloor, then read on. If you don't, you won't have to worry about a separate moisture barrier as plywood subfloor doesn't transmit that much moisture.
You have the top layer that is your floor covering (Hardwood, Laminate, Vinyl, Carpet, etc.), next you have the underlayment (usually a thin layer of fiber, foam, rubber), below that you have your subfloor (plywood, OSB, concrete), and lastly you have the joists which are the foundation to your floors.
Sealing and waterproofing a wood subfloor is an important step in protecting it from moisture and other types of damage. You can seal a subfloor using a sealant specifically designed for subfloors, such as a penetrating sealer or a moisture barrier.
Plywood: Yes.
Plywood is most-often used as a subfloor in construction. As with all subfloors, it must meet laminate installation specifications.
“Without a vapor barrier, concrete will deteriorate much faster through water vapor intrusion which degrades the quality of the concrete over time and can lead to foundation and building failures, like Surfside Condominium Collapse in Miami, Florida,” says vapor barrier plastic sheeting expert and Americover account ...
If you live in a mixed climate – hot and humid with several heating months in the winter, you probably need a vapor retarder. Specifically, if you live in climate zones 4C (marine), 5, 6, 7 and 8. Not sure your climate zone? You can check here.
For crawl space projecs that require a vapor barrier installed within walls, builders commonly use a thinner plastic sheeting option such as 6 mil, but for the best durability in the crawl space, our vapor barrier experts instead recommend choosing 8 mil plastic sheeting.
Rather than nails, screws are best to use for subfloors — these fasteners are convenient, easy to remove and capable of providing torque that nails lack. Because of their structure, screws can penetrate plywood more easily and improve the connection, whereas nails can weaken the plywood.
Don't beat the sheets together tightly, you must leave 1/8” gap at all sides of the panels to allow for swelling. The sledge makes it easy to “persuade” the sheets together, but don't hit it hard. Be very particular about that 1/8” gap.
For general residential use, 3/4 inch CDX plywood (3/4 plywood) with tongue and groove edges is a reliable choice. For areas with higher moisture levels, marine-grade or pressure-treated plywood is recommended.
For added strength and stability, a double-layer subfloor is often recommended. In this configuration, two layers of plywood are installed, with the top layer offset from the seams of the bottom layer. By staggering the seams, the subfloor's overall strength is enhanced, reducing the risk of deflection or squeaks.
Polyurethane. Another effective method for waterproofing plywood is applying a polyurethane finish. Polyurethane is a polymer compound widely used as a protective coating for wood surfaces. This treatment is especially valued for its durable, water-resistant properties.
Plywood underlayment is typically needed when a floor material must have a very smooth, flat surface. For example, if you install resilient tiles or sheet flooring over a subfloor, any bumps, dips, or voids in the subfloor may be evident in the finished flooring.
Plywood is considered the most popular material used for subflooring, it has been used since the 1950s and remains one of the top choices for contractors. Standard plywood works perfectly fine as a subflooring material, but the best option is ¾” tongue-and-groove plywood subflooring.
A successful tile installation project requires a level surface. Check for dips in the floor by sliding a 4-foot to 6-foot straight edge in different directions all around the room. Mark any uneven spots you find so that you can make them level. Fill seams in the subfloor with caulk.
To prepare a plywood subfloor for laminate or hardwood flooring, ensure the surface is clean, dry, and level. Fill any gaps or holes with a suitable filler, and sand any rough areas smooth. Consider using a moisture barrier or underlayment as recommended by your flooring manufacturer.
If you don't have an attached pad floor, the Sentinel Moisture Barrier Polyethylene Film or the Silicone Vapor Shield Underlayment works best.
Vapour barrier does not allow any water vapour through it, a vapour retarder allows a prescribed amount of water vapour through it. Using a vapour barrier would be more important in a high humidity scenario; swimming pools, changing rooms etc.
No, DuPont Tyvek is not a vapor barrier. It is breathable, allowing moisture vapor to pass through it.