Moisture Content vs Wood Floor

[HelpDIY]

Oh dear, I would not know where to seek for help if this website did not exist. Thanks again for your help for the following question

Our floor is wood board which two wood fitting companies came in and declared solid wood is not suitable but Engineered Wood Floor + Damp Proof Membrance (DPM) is ok. However, I have just received a phone call from a wood seller who said that if the floor is not suitable for solid wood then it won't be suitable for Engineered wood either. Putting a DPM does not work as it would rot the wood unless the DPM is breathable. Could I please have your view
1) what is the maximum moisture content in the existing floor board that is ok for Engineered Wood Floor
2) where I buy breathable DPM
3) would laminate is ok?

Thank you for your help

 

[WoodYouLike]

It does not matter if you want solid or wood-engineered. If you have to install over existing floorboards you never use a DPM.
Read this Type of underfloor is type of underlayment
What you need is underlayment without DPM, even if you want laminate

 

[Petest67]

Our floor is wood board

Do you mean that the existing sub-floor is wood? If so what is it - chipboard, ply, floorboards?
If its chipboard then as it is it won't hold a nail securely if secret nailing a solid floor to it but you can fit ply first then secret nail to this.
Where does the moisture problem come from?
If its a concrete floor there are ways to overcome a high moisture level and you can have your flooring installed.
Is it a basement / cellar room?

 

[mattysupra]

whats wrong with your wooden subfloor? Its wet?

You need to fix the cause of why the wooden subfloor is wet before you install anything.

 

[HelpDIY]

Oh dear, I would not know where to seek for help if this website did not exist. Thanks again for your help for the following question

Our floor is wood board which two wood fitting companies came in and declared solid wood is not suitable but Engineered Wood Floor + Damp Proof Membrance (DPM) is ok. However, I have just received a phone call from a wood seller who said that if the floor is not suitable for solid wood then it won't be suitable for Engineered wood either. Putting a DPM does not work as it would rot the wood unless the DPM is breathable. Could I please have your view
1) what is the maximum moisture content in the existing floor board that is ok for Engineered Wood Floor
2) where I buy breathable DPM
3) would laminate is ok?

Thank you for your help

Dear WoodLikeYou and all - thanks for your comments.
I click on the link you kindly gave for the underlay - can I confirm that it is the foam underlay 3mm that I need for putting on existing floor board before the new wood floor.

Can you/anyone please advise upto what moisture content on the floorboard that one should not have Solid Wood or Engineered wood floor

cheers

 

[WoodYouLike]

Can you/anyone please advise upto what moisture content on the floorboard that one should not have Solid Wood or Engineered wood floor

cheers

Depends on the wood type really. Pine = not higher than 18% moist (preferable 15%) , Oak not higher than 11% (preferable 9 - 10%).

 

[mattysupra]

you need to get both floors to within 2-4% of each other.


However, you still need to sort out the reason why they are wet.

 

[HelpDIY]

It does not matter if you want solid or wood-engineered. If you have to install over existing floorboards you never use a DPM.
Read this Type of underfloor is type of underlayment
What you need is underlayment without DPM, even if you want laminate

Could you please advise the difference betwen Foam Underlayment and Timbermate Duratex.
Thanks

 

[WoodYouLike]

Foam - what we call the foam underlayment - is 3mm thick, without DPM and suitable for most floors. Timbermate Duratex is a rubbery underlayment 3mm thick, without DPM and with extra sound-insulation effect (and quite heavy!)

Hope this helps

 

[HelpDIY]

Could you please why Timbermate Excel DPM is not suitable for our existing floorboards on the groundfloor. The house has aircirculation bricks around the house, underneath the floorboard. I would have thought this would give our new engineered woodfloor an extra moisture protection
Thanks

Foam - what we call the foam underlayment - is 3mm thick, without DPM and suitable for most floors. Timbermate Duratex is a rubbery underlayment 3mm thick, without DPM and with extra sound-insulation effect (and quite heavy!)

Hope this helps

 

[WoodYouLike]

It would hardly give your new floor extra moisture protection while at the same time create condensation between DPM and existing floor boards which could result in rotting boards and even joists.

The ventilation underneath your exiting floorboards should not be 'blocked' by DPM, hence our recommendations for Timbermate Duratex

 

[HelpDIY]

It would hardly give your new floor extra moisture protection while at the same time create condensation between DPM and existing floor boards which could result in rotting boards and even joists.

The ventilation underneath your exiting floorboards should not be 'blocked' by DPM, hence our recommendations for Timbermate Duratex

Thanks I am now convinced of your advice to use Duratex on floorboard. Could you please advice whether 1) adhesive is needed to stick the underlay on the floorboar and what make 2) is there any particular way the duratex should be layed versus the engineered woodfloor
Thanks again

 

[WoodYouLike]

You don't need any adhesive or anything else to install the Duratex, you just roll it out over the existing floorboards (and the rolls are quite heavy!)

You have two options how to lay the underlayment: either parallel with the new boards or perpendicular (which means constantly walking over the underlayment) but does give better 'prevention' against draft because no chance any joint will ever be on the same place as the joints of the existing floorboards or new floorboards.