Hello, everyone,
I discovered this under a carpet (the carpet has a layer of soft foam/rubber itself). It looks like cork, but appears to be hard. It's around 5mm thick. The house was built in early 60s. That's all the clues I have.
What kind of flooring/underlay is it? Can I remove the old carpet and lay vinyl flooring or floating floor boards on top of it?
Thanks a lot.
Yeah, if you want to lay vinyl directly onto that, you need to make sure it's all clean and no nails sticking out…
Looks to be masonite but also looks to have been compromised by moisture. I would recommend replacing it prior to installing your new floor
Thank you very much, everyone. I'll check its condition and decide what to do.
It does have a lot of nails on it and definitely some water damage (probably from shampooing)
I will remove a small piece and hopefully what's under is not leading to another question here.
I'll also search more information about this masonite, such as how to clean it.
Sign, have I just opened a can of worms?
Sign, have I just opened a can of worms?
You've opened a can of things to learn. It's a good thing.
Masonite doesn't rot easily but having water damaged Masonite can compromise the outcome, ie. Glue defects.
If the Masonite is thoroughly dry, it's okay to loose lay vinyl over it. If you're worried, just tack on a new layer of Masonite.
The most important thing is not to seal moisture in because rot resistant is exactly that… Resistant.
Yep. We had it in our kitchen and had a slow leak also…was so much mould under there (under the counter, in cupboards etc) when we finally realised…wife demanded a new kitchen :(
New or old underlay, slow leaks cause mould all the same.
I always insist on bent copper pipes if it's concealed. The only fitting that should exist is branched fittings and that should be outside the wall and terminal fittings.
Hey, what you say is so true. It's a good thing. Thank you :)
I have made some mistakes and learnt some from this old house. Now here comes a new thing to learn.
I had a look of it. Apart from those water stains, nothing is really notable. Dry, no mould, no moisture. Maybe I will replace some of them then decide what to do next.
Masonite or cork
masonite
I finally removed some pieces of masonite. The wooden floor underneath is in a very good condition. :)
And I also found a page of newspaper between the masonite and the subfloor.
The newspaper is dated 20 Dec 1976, the year I was born. (Oh, well, I know I am old).
Maybe I should frame it.
Why not frame it
I bet it was in good condition, just a bit yellow
Which newspaper? :)
It's The Advertiser as shown on the first pic. It's in very good condition. Apart from a nail hole, no other damage.
I definitely will frame it.
Instead of replacing some masonites, I've removed all of them. The original timber floor is very good. Most of he surface is very smooth; just needs a little bit of TLC. I am going to lay the vinyl sheets on top of it directly and cover the gaps between the wall and floor with quarter trims.
Thinking of leaving another newspaper under the vinyl for the future renovator (if I ever sell the house)
If you live in a cold place, lay new newspaper, it will help very much with the insulation
It will even make the vinyl feel spongier
I had blackwood floors, but they sanded it too much,
and the boards were shrinking a bit too
The house was off the ground a little bit, but when it snowed, you could see it through the floor boards!
It was in the kitchen & when the opportunity came to get free carpet, I jumped at the chance
I did not put down paper as I thought if I spilt anything, it would dry up proper instead of going mouldy in the carpet
But I always wondered if I should have put newspaper under the carpet
It was still much warmer then before & there was never any drafts from it
enjoy your project
p.s. I only saw one picture when I clicked the link & it was just the masonite
@the Unforgiven: Oh, I am sorry, my bad. I meant the first picture of the second img link.
Try this link —> newspaper
Thank you very much for sharing your experience and tips. I am in Adelaide, where the temperature ranges from 0 to 48 degree. If I do put newspaper, how thick will you recommend?
Thanks a lot. I deeply appreciate everything you've contributed.
Look at all the ads for air-con in your car, that reminds of when me & me mate did it one saturday at work; then we drank the rest of the day. Beer was cheap in the early 70's, a pot of beer was 28c & dozen bottles were $6.95, I miss them days.
I really don't know how much layer of newspaper to put down, 2 or 3 sheets should be enough. Too much & it could get lumpy at the joins.
I have not read a newspaper since I don't know when, the late 70's. I think I gave up when disco hit, the world went to s**t then, and kept on going downhill
I had temperature from -8.4 to +41.2 You had to put the beer in the fridge to stop it from freezing :)
My new place in Tassie has tinted double graze if you don't mind, I bought it like it, the owner said it cost $13,000. But would you believe they newer sealed the gaps in the place! I ended up using over 50 tubes of sealer in the joint. To say I am happy now is an understatement. I have the heatbank on 17 & walk around with a T-shirt most of the time (having a gall stone helps thou :)
I wonder how much the Charger RT cost? I still remember the ads & my words that I made up for it ;)
the Hawks won the Premiership in '76, Crimmo's Cup
You ain't old, I was married 2 years after '76, or was that 3 years? S**t, my memory is going, where is that amber drink with the frothy white head; that will fix my memory :p
I've almost finished with the flooring for two bedrooms. Just need to secure the edges with quarter trims later on. Very satisfied with the result. I Only put two pages of newspapers for the next renovator. They were the front page and the classified representatively. Found it too hard to cover all the floor with newspapers.
A friend in her 80s told me her father always gave her 25c on Sat when she was young. 25c can buy her a movie ticket, an ice cream and a bag of lollies. I guess we all miss the old days.
Thank you very much for your input. It's really enjoyable to read your reply. :)
I am glad you like tales from an old bloke :) I don't have anyone to tell them to
It is so satisfying to do it yourself, now you can sit back & enjoy that beer
I make a rather nice dark beer with weetbix & strawberry jam; it is nearly as good as the strawberry stout
my next batch in is a lager & stout with weetbix & strawberry jam - yum
It should be ready for the footy finals
I had a cat called George P. Cat, it was sad his story at the end
I then got 2 black panthers, but they were 5 week old pussies
There nicknames were Monster & Menace, they were twins
Monster & Menace grew into their names
Menace disappeared just before Easter, he was 2 & half years
Monster misses his twin brother, I have the duties to play with him like his twin used to, I don't have fur to protect me from getting shredded like Menace did; there used to be fur on the carpet all the time from their play fights, I would hate to see them get serious.
peace & long life
Yes, coincidently, I had a cat called "Little P". I had him for 6 years. Sadly he went missing 2 weeks after I came to Australia. (In my home country, cats don't roam around. They are kept indoors). I told myself to go back to look for him if I couldn't secure a job in one month.
I was lucky with my job hunting, but not so lucky to find him with all help from local friends and social media. I went home after one year, and tried to look for him again with the hope that potentially someone that adopted him can give him back to me. Of course this didn't happen.
I miss him so much hence my username. Best cat ever. He knows how to use our toilet (number one only). He wakes me up for work Mon-Fri after my alarm goes off. He knows to come to me if someone/some cat is in trouble. The list goes on and on…
Alright, I think I got to stop here now. It's been out of the subject too much. Sorry about that.
@littlepcat: Talk about your cat as much as you like
I knew a lady from upstate New York who didn't allow her cats outdoors ever
I lived bush & the little twins never wanted to go out even thought I would open the window next to my computer where I sit & try to push them out (the windows were low). They never wanted to go out, but they were only months old & it was a hot summer, like it is every year now, but once they went out, there was no holding them back. I, being daddy, had to teach them everything about the outdoors, like snakes, wild dogs, etc.
Animals are better than people, that is why I changed my name to an animals name 2 decades ago. There are so many stories about our fur-faced friends that can be told, not to mention the pictures. Do you want to talk via email & exchange pictures & stories? just pm me, I don't know how to do that bit yet. I was telling Monster about all the humans that have to work & leave them every morning & come back in the evening just so they could keep a roof over their heads & how I don't have to work as we own the place & this is home were we are forever. enjoy your day little cat :)
@the Unforgiven: Hey, I don't mind chatting via email or message. However, I am unable to pm you. I'll need you to either turn on your pm or pm me.
I am not a good story teller tho due to my condition and English skill.
And thank you very much. I had a wonderful day.
Probably Masonite.
Floating floor, definitely yes. Vinyl will depend on how flat everything is. Ie. Any change in floor height within the room, typically interface between concrete and wood.