How to Install Felt Underlayment for Hardwood Floors
Hardwood flooring is generally nailed to a plywood subfloor. The hardwood flooring is laid on top of a thin layer of underlayment, usually paper or felt paper. This prevents the migration of dust, moisture and oil between the subfloor and the top layer of hardwood flooring. It gives you a nice, flat, clean surface to start with for the flooring. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Pry off the floor trim around the perimeter of the room using your hammer and pry bar. Pull out or hammer down any raised nail heads along the floor and wall.
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2
Roll out the first course of felt underlayment along the longest unobstructed wall in the room. Cut it at the end with your razor knife so that it’s completely covering the edge of the floor, butted right to the wall along the side and at both ends.
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3
Shoot staples down straight through the paper surface and into the subfloor every 12 to 18 inches along the edges of the course and over the whole surface of it.
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4
Roll out the next course of paper so it comes an inch or 2 over the edge of the first course, overlapping it. Cut it at the end. Staple it down as before.
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5
Repeat, covering the floor course by course, cutting the strips at the ends and stapling them all down.
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6
Length-cut the final strip to fit along the far edge of the floor. Staple it down as before. The floor is now ready for hardwood boards.
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