On Sat, 26 Apr 2014 07:44:50 -0400, Meanie
wrote:

On 4/26/2014 12:10 AM, mike wrote:
On 4/25/2014 6:15 PM, Meanie wrote:
Planning to lay 3/4" hardwood floor soon to my upstairs (2nd floor
bungalow). Watched a few you tube videos to see if there is anything I
can still learn. Some videos show a barrier between the hardwood and
subfloor, some simply shoe hardwood on the subfloor. What are reasons to
use it and/or not use it?
Normally, a vapor barrier is recommended under any type of flooring.
Maybe it's not an issue on upper floors.
One source claimed that a laminate floor was "quieter" with the spongy
backing. Maybe that's more of an issue on upper floors.

I did my first laminate room with black plastic vapor barrier.
The rest used the recommended spongy stuff. Can't say I can tell
the difference.

Noise is my main concern. Currently the subfloor, which we painted and
had bare for some time now, is squeaky in spots. I plan to walk
throughout the entire floor and add some screws to those squeaky areas
prior to installing the hardwood floors. Then a co-worker stated the
barrier can also serve as a noise suppressor, thus, leaving me to wonder
if I should still add it.
One other thing you might want to do if the floor is accessible from
below. Make sure all the cross braces are good and tight I screwed
about a dozen that were iffy and it made a big difference - got rid of
the one nasty squeak in the dining room. Luckily it is over the
furnace room - the only unfinished ceiling in the whole house.
It is 9X12 feet with 2X8 framing on 12" centers - long way , with 2
of them doubled(4 feet apart) and a double header between them about
16" from the wall under the sliding pattio door. Don't know why it was
done that way unless it was toallow the concrete sill for the patio
door to sit on the foundation where the joists would normall have
seated.