Engineered floorboards, underlay or not?

[snooky jo]

Hi,

 

if fitting engineered floorboards would you use underlay in your narrowboat?

 

Thanks

 

Rory

[dccruiser]

Personally i would always use underlay, firstly for the underfoot feel of the carpet, secondly for the extra insulation and warmth and finally, laying over any floorboarding, if there are any gaps no matter how slight they will eventually show through, just like whenever laying vinyl flooring i would always lay a hardboard sub floor.

 

Rick

[blackrose]

Hi,

 

if fitting engineered floorboards would you use underlay in your narrowboat?

 

Thanks

 

Rory

Depends if I was fitting carpet on top of the wooden floor.

Edited February 18, 2015 by blackrose

[Neil Smith]

The op means a decorative hardwood floor fitted over the normal floor I think, in that case I would not use underlay but probably a few rugs here and there.

 

Neil.

[dor]

Or do you mean the thin underlay that you put under the boards? In which case yes I would. The stuff designed for this is a high density foam a few mm thick that can take up some imperfections in the base floor, usually plywood. It also allows very slight movement of the boards due to variations in temperature and humidity.

[Mike Tee]

I used this stuff under an oak floor (in a house). They do a waterproof one as well, but I can't decide if that might create condensation damaging the subfloor in a boat.

 

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Fibreboard-Flooring-Underlay-5mm-20-Pack/p/215589

[Barry]

Or do you mean the thin underlay that you put under the boards? In which case yes I would. The stuff designed for this is a high density foam a few mm thick that can take up some imperfections in the base floor, usually plywood. It also allows very slight movement of the boards due to variations in temperature and humidity.

 

Mine had a silver foil layer too, to act as a vapour barrier

[Bee]

I have put a few floors down in boats and the last one I did, in our boat, is ordinary floorboards with sections that lift with inset brass 'ring pulls'. It looks boaty and lets me get at the bottom of the boat. I would do it the same way again, it still looks good with a few rugs on top and I think that sealing off access to the bottom with layers of ply and stuff is not a good idea.

[dccruiser]

The op means a decorative hardwood floor fitted over the normal floor I think, in that case I would not use underlay but probably a few rugs here and there.

 

Neil.

After reading it again i am sure you are right Niel, in which case i would use the very thin white stuff and leave the floor "floating" ... i would also ensure the sub floor can breathe and never lay plastic or anything as one of my previous boats was done like this and it rotted both hull base and sub floor from the inside

 

Rick

[blackrose]

They'll take up imperfections in the subfloor, but I don't think that any of the stuff that goes under wooden floors will do much for thermal insulation because the heat capacity of hardwood is the dominant factor.

Edited February 21, 2015 by blackrose

[dccruiser]

 

Mine had a silver foil layer too, to act as a vapour barrier

From experience i would avoid a vapour barrier, as i said mine had a plastic one and the condensation trapped inn the void to the baseplate had no escape, so rotted the subfloor and rusted the baseplate from the inside.

 

Rick

[patty-ann]

I have underlay under tawny chestnut wooden laminate floor..brought good quality underlay, then floor creaked as it expanded and contracted so holes drilled and foam spray squirted in..works ok. However floorboards cold so really need rugs but have dog so its the cleaning aspect.

[Chewbacka]

I laid a bamboo floor directly onto the ply base, no underlay as most are plastic and trap vapour, and left it floating. The ply base was clean and flat and new so no problems with steps and bumps etc.

I did the complete boat, so left an expansion gap about half way down. At the toilet I cut 25mm holes in the bamboo and fixed the toilet to the ply base leaving the bamboo able to move a bit under the toilet. Another tip, when laying a long run, go and check so often at the start end as a floating floor in a boat can move a bit as you lay it making the expansion gaps close up / get too big.

 

I used bamboo because it was sold as good for conservatories and other places with variable & high humidity. 2 years on it is fine.

Downside of bamboo is it is not as hard a laminate or oak, so keep the little bits of grit away if marks upset you. I don't mind as it gives it character.

[snooky jo]

This is all great advise thanks.

 

i think ill go with the wickes underlay due to noise, bump and gap reduction, may not get the water proof stuff as i know the floor will need to breath. i have planed to make some small panels with brass finger pull out thingys for access.