Tim,
On the main floor of a ranch home, over a finished basement, do you need to lay building paper under prefinished 3-1/4" oak flooring? For years that has been the standard practice. The store I bought it from says you don't need to. The instructions that came with the flooring say that it is optional. It will be installed over 3/4" plywood. Jeff S.
- - -
Jeff,
I feel it is very prudent to install tar paper under hardwood flooring. It is a fairly effective vapor retarder and it also helps to even out slight imperfections in the subfloor. The tar paper also helps to prevents squeaks between the oak and the subfloor. You can't always trust the advice you get from salespeople at a store, especially ones who have not installed and serviced the product for many years.
If you want the most accurate answer, I suggest you contact one or both of the Hardwood Associations. They represent oak flooring manufacturers and believe me, they want the flooring installed correctly so customers experience 100 percent satisfaction.
Tim Carter
W3ATB
www.askthebuilder.com