Moisture Barrier for Laminate Flooring

[user 29503]

I haven't looked into it too much. Does anyone have a moisture barrier below their laminate flooring. I have 3/4" plywood as my sub floor. I'm installing the floor today and thought I'd ask before I go ham installing it.

 

[tradesman]

You don't need a moisture barrier.

 

[Mr&MrsK]

You don't need a moisture barrier.

I wanted to look into this before adding flooring. We are considering waterproof laminate. We have 2 dogs, & a lot of condensation forms in the Subaru, so eventual rusting is a concern for us.

 

[maki2]

If your concern is rust put a couple of extra coats of rust inhibiting paint on the metal that is under the layers of plywood. That is your one best method of preventing rust on the metal. It is pretty much impossible to protect it from water infiltration any other way due to the irregular contours of the van’s structure. Practice visualization of all the elements when trying to figure out such things. Don’t just “see” the plywood and the laminate “see” what is under it and also at the edges of it. Then “see” water flowing on the surface and what path the water will take. It won’t just go straight down, it will flow off that surface and over the edges and find its way underneath those layers of flooring.

 

[Mr&MrsK]

If your concern is rust put a couple of extra coats of rust inhibiting paint on the metal that is under the layers of plywood. That is your one best method of preventing rust on the metal. It is pretty much impossible to protect it from water infiltration any other way due to the irregular contours of the van’s structure. Practice visualization of all the elements when trying to figure out such things. Don’t just “see” the plywood and the laminate “see” what is under it and also at the edges of it. Then “see” water flowing on the surface and what path the water will take. It won’t just go straight down, it will flow off that surface and over the edges and find its way underneath those layers of flooring.

Thanks. I feel like I'm being paranoid. I've even speculated heat-shrinking some sort of barrier to the floor before adding flooring or having spray-on truck bed lining applied. We get the van in 2 weeks & will be racing the clock against the weather.

 

[bullfrog !]

Something to consider is the idea of designing things so the floor is easily removable and cheap to replace or take out to clean. It is possible to mount or secure cabinets, beds and counters to the walls. There is no good reason to mount plywood to the floor when it can be cut to hold itself in place when installed. Most modern laminate flooring is “free floating” and some have foam insulation as well I believe making a solid wood floor unnecessary. I would think with pets being able to remove the flooring easily for cleaning or replacement would be a much better solution, not to mention allowing the floor to dry out every so often.

 

[Mr&MrsK]

Something to consider is the idea of designing things so the floor is easily removable and cheap to replace or take out to clean. It is possible to mount or secure cabinets, beds and counters to the walls. There is no good reason to mount plywood to the floor when it can be cut to hold itself in place when installed. Most modern laminate flooring is “free floating” and some have foam insulation as well I believe making a solid wood floor unnecessary. I would think with pets being able to remove the flooring easily for cleaning or replacement would be a much better solution, not to mention allowing the floor to dry out every so often.

Will definitely keep this in mind. Thanks.

 

[Carla618]

I wanted to look into this before adding flooring. We are considering waterproof laminate. We have 2 dogs, & a lot of condensation forms in the Subaru, so eventual rusting is a concern for us.

Are you referring to the heavy vinyl planks that are glued to plywood?

 

[maki2]

Thanks. I feel like I'm being paranoid. I've even speculated heat-shrinking some sort of barrier to the floor before adding flooring or having spray-on truck bed lining applied. We get the van in 2 weeks & will be racing the clock against the weather.

Something to o know about plywood and water. The cut edges of the plywood are more prone to sbsorbing water than the flat top and bottom surface is. When that water infiltrates from those cut edges the plywood can begin to delaminate. So take some caulk and put a coating of it along those edges. A thin skim coat is fine, you are just sealing off the cut ends of the wood fibers so they can’t draw up moisture through those tiny straws that take up water into the tree.

 

[BelgianPup]

Mount the plywood on slats going from front to back, leaving the ends open for air movement.

 

[NctryBen]

In my camper I put down the paint on membrane stuff I used in my bathroom at home. I replaced the stick on vinyl with locking vinyl (in the camper) and found under the peel and stick some mold. I figure I’ll change it out from time to time in case… I cleaned the mold areas real well before I painted it on.

 

[Mr&MrsK]

Something to o know about plywood and water. The cut edges of the plywood are more prone to sbsorbing water than the flat top and bottom surface is. When that water infiltrates from those cut edges the plywood can begin to delaminate. So take some caulk and put a coating of it along those edges. A thin skim coat is fine, you are just sealing off the cut ends of the wood fibers so they can’t draw up moisture through those tiny straws that take up water into the tree.

Tyvm for the advice. Not something I would have thought of.

 

[LargeMarge]

...Does anyone have a moisture barrier below their laminate flooring. I have 3/4" plywood as my sub floor. I'm installing the floor today and thought I'd ask before I go ham installing it.

.
I am hearing two adults plus two dogs in a midget Subaru station-wagon (or Chevrolet 1500 cargo van?)?
Over-wintering in Alaska?
.
[gnashes hair, rends teeth]
.
Let's start at the beguine.
* what do you anticipate as sources for the moisture
Perhaps, eliminate the source, reduce the quality and quantity?
.
* Could you park on a hill -- set your emergency! brake! for safety! -- open the tail-gate, and call on our friend Mister Gravity to pour your 'moisture' on the ground?
* No hills?
Drive madly in tiny circles, using our friend Mister Centrifugal Force and the well-proven 'open tail-gate' method to fling your 'moisture' hither-n-yon with gleeful abandon?
I know the one I'd choose...