We are in the process of updating our kitchen and installing a new hardwood floor. I would appreciate any advice/references you could share on the “greenest”, healthiest products to use for our flooring process.
Debra,
Thank you for the question.
Hard wood floors on floor frames are historically laid over a minimum ¾” thick sub-floor – whether rough plank, plywood or oriented strand board (OSB)
Between the finish floor and the sub-floor it has been common to install 15 or 30 pound felt paper or red rosin paper. This is done to minimize dust movement from the basement or crawl base below, potentially minimize squeaks and slow vapor transmission from the space below.
Ideally, if the space below has a lot of humidity, that problem should be cured by the homeowner first.
The subfloor should also be glued and mechanically fastened with screws before installation of the finish floor.
From the perspective of off-gassing, none of the three materials mentioned will be an issue today – as long as they are dry – preferably Kiln-dried – when installed.
The wood flooring should also have the ends of the boxes open and be stacked such that air can move around the flooring for a few days before installation to acclimate the wood moisture content to the space.
Hopefully this helps with your concerns.
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Blessings,
The Guys