Should I use asphalt kraft paper under wood floors?
When installing floating engineered hardwood over a dry plywood subfloor, figuring out if asphalt kraft paper is the right choice is the primary hurdle. People hesitate because they are unsure if better alternatives exist and worry that the asphalt paper will give off VOCs for an extended period.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Researching specific materials like cork or wood fiber underlay and comparing 1/4" versus 1/8" thicknesses.
- 2full spread glue install
- 3checking with hardwood manufacturers for recommended materials
- 4not using paper of any kind under hardwood
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
r/Flooring2 people · September 2026 – October 2026
“Getting ready to install a floating engineered hardwood floor over a dry plywood subfloor and looking for recommendations for underlayment.”source ↗
YsaboNyx · r/Flooring · 1 upvotes
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 7Do I need a waterproof membrane under tile on a concrete floor?
- 4Should I glue down engineered herringbone flooring or float it?
- 4Do I need underlayment for luxury vinyl plank flooring?
- 4Can you put new flooring over old pine boards without a subfloor?
- 31Do epoxy floors off-gas chemicals and yellow over time?
- 3Do I need to take engineered hardwood out of the box to acclimate?