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I’m planning to lay a floor in my kitchen, using real lineolum. What is the best underlayment to use? I’ll be taking out 95 years of vinyl & other old stuff (3 layers) to get down to the fir t&g flooring which sits on 1″ shiplap fir subflooring. I’ve heard that 1/4 CDX or 1/4 laun is the way to go. Opinions & experience gentlemen? Thanks
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1/4 luan doesn't use the water resistant glue that it did years ago. cdx will leave the need for more floor fill. The best is 1/4 underlayment. It's smaller than 4x8....and has the nailing X's printed on it. For some flooring sheet goods....this is the only substrate warrented. Should be able to find it most places. Jeff
*Jim,In case you had not heard, I offer this linoleum tidbit from experience. After it is laid in the glue, it changes dimension. It shrinks lengthwise, and swells widthwise. Knowing this ahead of time is better than learning it later on. This odd behaviour is a result of the way it is manufactured; they hang huge loops of it to cure, so the jute backing stretches longways and necks in at the sides. When laid in glue it goes "Ahhh!" (gotta listen real close) and relaxes in the direction of its former dimensions. It can be a very durable and pretty floor, and is actually antibacterial. Best of luck to you.Bill
*I always used 3/8 particleboard. It has good density, no hollow insides to break through and a true thickness. Nail every six inches on center with a countersinking cleat nailer, feather patch any gaps and overwood and any hammer marks, then your done. As for the lino, save all of the sweat that is going to pour down your face even if it is cold outside. I installed vinyl for seven years fulltime and was lucky to have a shop owner that "allowed" me to install only the soft goods for about a year before moving on to the hard goods. I went to the advanced Armstrong school for a week and learned the tricks to working Designer Solarian and the thicker inlaids. If you even touch and try to pick it up the wrong way it rips or cracks. You have to heat it with a torch or heat gun to manipulate it into place, and you need to know how to make patterns to perfect fit it into place. And one need to know how to underscribe seams to fit. Linoleum installation is on of the most highly skilled installations one could take on even for a skilled installer, and you are hearing that from someone who was pretty good at it near the end of my career at that trade. You might want to farm it out. GW
*b WBA At Your ServiceI am 99.9% sure that there no flooring manufacturers (except carpet) that will warranti any of their products over particleboard. It's that any wisp of moisture causes bulge-o-rama. This is a i learned the hard way experience.
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I'm planning to lay a floor in my kitchen, using real lineolum. What is the best underlayment to use? I'll be taking out 95 years of vinyl & other old stuff (3 layers) to get down to the fir t&g flooring which sits on 1" shiplap fir subflooring. I've heard that 1/4 CDX or 1/4 laun is the way to go. Opinions & experience gentlemen? Thanks