Red Rosin Paper Under Hardwood Floors
It is used as a moisture barrier and it allows the wood floor above it to breathe.
Red rosin paper under hardwood floors. The paper is installed just before the wood flooring and comes in rolls of various lengths. It should be avoided in favor of rated materials. Rosin after all is derived from resin the pitch that comes from pine trees and has long been used as a waterproofing material. Many manufactures today say that rosin paper is your choice.
The best choice for the vapor retarder is a rated building paper designed for use under wood floors that meets uu b 790. Red rosin paper red building paper brown rosin paper slip sheet paper rosin sized sheathing paper and building paper is a 100 recycled citation needed heavy duty felt paper used in construction such as underlayment under flooring and siding the name rosin sized sheathing paper commonly used to describe the material comes from the rosin used in the paper the process of sizing it. There is no difference in sound. It plays a very small role in preventing moisture little amount of moisture can be blocked out.
Rosin paper is used under hardwood flooring to provide a vapor barrier. Its a piece of paper. If you re worried that red rosin paper is just plain old paper it s not. If you choosing a paper for a vapor retarder then felt paper is far preferable to red rosin.
Red rosin paper has certain breathability attributes that you need for wood flooring because wood flooring needs to breathe too. Felt paper comes in 15 pound and 30 pound options. The need for paper under hardwood is a myth. I was always taught that if you are laying wood floors on a first floor then you use felt paper if you are laying on a second floor then you could use red rosin if you wanted.
I ve installed for 20 years and do not use paper. Installing building paper is a simple task. Do not glue down a solid floor. I agree with that damp basement poly for 1st floor.
If you want a silent relatively silent hardwood floor then screw down your subfloor and use the glue down installation method. It offers little protection against water vapor. The purpose of the paper is really for helping to reduce and elimate squeak sound when the hardwood floor rubs against the subfloor also blocks dust from flying up from the subfloor during installation. Not a magic layer.
I have been doing floors for 9 years and red rosin paper works fine over plywood subfloor. Rosin paper has perm rating of 100 or more. It does make installation easier because the boards move. Rosin paper is a multi purpose building paper used underneath hardwood floors as an underlayment.