Wooden (laminate) underlay options

[Squid]

After,

 

[gazdkw82]

Although I fully appreciate doing it that way would be an ideal perfect approach, I don't have that luxury. Family still live in the house and I need to get the flooring down within a weekend. Plus money is a factor.

What would be the problem with laying the foil backed stuff down onto the floorboards? There would be enough gaps between the floorboards to allow them to breathe?

 

[Squid]

There shouldn't be an issue but maybe I am old school and stick to the rule, if your are going to do something then do it properly.

 

[David Prosser]

On recommendation of a carpenter I have used a good number of times I used the 5mm acoustic gold foil backed and taped (cheapest I could find at the times was online ukflooringdirect). I have a air-bricks for ventilation under the floor so also got a draft up through before hand, now much better. Not sure you are susposed to, but I used a staple gun to keep it in place then taped over them.

 

[gazdkw82]

Did you tape the sections together? Did you lay the flooring under the skirting and tape right up to the wall?

 

[David Prosser]

Yes taped them together along the joins after using a few staples to hold them in place (long runs moved all over the place as you move on it). Tried to tape them to walls but wouldn't always stick. Scrapped old skirting boards and put flooring to about 10mm from wall then put new skirting down.

 

[telectrix]

hope it was proper wood skirting made from trees screw fixed, not gummey bear shyte, sanded, stained a sensible colour with wood dye, and varnished to shine like the moon, and not mdf crap.

 

[David Prosser]

Well it's wood but I had to paint it white cause that's what "we" decided on !

 

[telectrix]

Well it's wood but I had to paint it white cause that's what "we" decided on !

Philistine!

 

[David M]

Currently have carpet so that will come up and we will be left with the original floor boards.

It's a 1930's house with no cavity.

The floorboards that are down are in good condition with no signs of damage, rot or moisture.

I was planning on just laying the foil backed underlay down and taping as close to the walls as I can. Skirting will come off so to allow expansion gap and skirting sits back over the laminate

You don't really need to use foil back underlay over floorboards, its more for use on aggregate floors (cement/concrete) but its up to you. In my experience I prefer to use fibre back boards and tape the seams. This way you can just lay them together a few pieces at a time as and when you install the laminate. ( I just find it easier) .The foil back foam underlay easily rips and can sometimes be a nuisance.

 

[wsoppitt]

I recently acquired a job lot of mouse mats , laminated on 1side and dense foam on the other .only needed to cover a small mezzanine floor area of less than 8m2 but supurb , soft and moisture resistant from below if installed on concrete floor.