my father is an avid do-it-yourselfer. we are puting in hardwood floors in our house and he already put one room in and it is pretty good lookin! but he has bad judgement sometimes and there is really old linoleum under the old carpet and he wants to go directly over the linoleum without the felt insulator. this doesnt seem right WHAT DO YOU THINK?!
2007-05-03 14:57:40 · 9 answers · asked by Michelle 4 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
I installed hardwood for a few years and though we could never get away with anything like that professionally I don't see it causing any gigantic problems. The felt paper is mostly for a moisture barrier to hinder expansion and contraction of the board which can cause warping, squeaks and such. I would however recommend using the tar paper for added protection on top of the old floor because linoleum tends to break down over time.
-good luck :)
2007-05-03 15:13:48 · answer #1 · answered by simpletonjguy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It will probably be OK to leave the linoleum. I would. Some people want perfection and that OK, but, after the Hardwood is nailed down I really doubt anyone will know what is under it.
I figure the linoleum be a better underlayment than felt. Just most people recommend felt as it cheaper.
2007-05-03 22:07:21 · answer #2 · answered by Snaglefritz 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Leave the linoleum alone, it is not worth to remove it as long as it is flat and not loosing.
If it is ground floor you need moisture barrier otherwise the floor would pop up in years. Remember to tape all the edges together when they join.
Felt insulator is not expensive. Costco has one cost 30.00 to cover more than one hundred square feet. Without the under laymen you will hear hollow sound every time you walk on it.
2007-05-04 02:15:44 · answer #3 · answered by JC 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have laminate flooring.. not quite the same I realise. However from my experience, as I have two areas of the house with laminate: one with foam, one without. The area without foam moves easily and may be quite noisy.. it is not too expensive, I would highly recommend it.
They do have floating hardwood flooring now (as well of course as floating laminate) which is quite nice versus old linoneum flooring. Considering the hardwood flooring increases value, I would recommend it versus the laminate. Howerver don't go on the cheap without the foam.. unless price is a real issue.
Skipping the foam insulation will add noise and the floor will give slightly as you walk upon it.
2007-05-03 22:10:33 · answer #4 · answered by Norm 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should remove the linoleum flooring. The floor needs to be extremely level and free of moister.
2007-05-05 20:57:46 · answer #5 · answered by Tom T 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't need to rip out the linoleum, but you need to put a moisture barrier down. Use thicker rolled plastic, just staple it down here and there.
2007-05-03 23:29:00 · answer #6 · answered by tommypski 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the linoleum is flat to the floor & the floor is level, yes, if not then it may shift.
2007-05-03 22:23:53 · answer #7 · answered by nanny 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would pull up the linoleum and put down the manufacturer's recomended underlayment.
2007-05-03 22:01:12 · answer #8 · answered by nathanael_beal 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
as long as it is a level surface, it will be fine
2007-05-03 22:01:09 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋