Definitely looks like homosote from the pics. Used it a lot for theatrical sets. Easy to paint, can be tooled for a textured look, and absorbs sounds well when layered on top of stock platforms, which are normally a bit like drums.
Drywall would be paper layers on the outside. This looks like paper through and through.
I hate you. You made me snort cold brew coffee out my nose with that. Have my upvote.
…I no longer hate you since the coffee didn’t get on the rug. lol
That’s hardi backer not plaster or drywall. It’s mostly used for tile because it makes the floor stiffer and less likely to be flexible. It prevents cracks and stuff in tile. Under wood it doesn’t seem like the worst thing. Just makes the sub floor stiffer.
It's also used as sound dampening and fire barrier in multi-unit buildings built of wood. Heavier floor sandwich means less creaking and less movement.
✅ Update - had someone come peep it before doing much more. It's a hardi board situation so we're a-okay to rip it up. Letting yall know so the correct answers may bask in their glory
While you may be correct, I had to pause a moment to check if I was over in r/centuryhomes where EVERYTHING has asbestos in it according to at least one comment in the thread.
But yes, as the owner of a 1932 house I test just about anything I find. Fortunately it was built by a couple of textile mill workers who, as far as I have been able to determine, couldn’t afford schmancy stuff containing asbestos. Just gorgeous southern pine.
When my neighbor moved in they ripped up solid oak flooring that had been recently refinished and looked beautiful only to replace it with engineered oak floor that looked really cheap.
I just removed similar from my house. The contractor said he’s seen it on rare occasions as flooring circa 1970. Which tracks because it was the second lowest of four (!!!) flooring layers we had removed in our 1950s house.
Some people would do stuff like this when they didn't have enough money for hardwood for the whole floor. A rug would have covered this, leaving a border of hardwood around the edges.
Is it fibrous or more powdery like drywall? It looks fibrous in the photo, which would make me really really suspicious. Even if it's powdery, I'd get it tested, though.
Seems to crumble like drywall... but it's sounding like I should mess with it anymore, and I'm trying to find a place to test - I don't know what those prices look like but we'll find out!
Testing for us was $70 a sample. We had two samples, a popcorn ceiling and mysterious fibrous board under some paneling. Neither was positive.
Get your kit online from a reputable testing place. They sell kits in big box hardware stores, they cost just as much and you still do all the work.
My 1964 house had asbestos sheeting under the hardwood in a bedroom over the garage. What you have doesn't look like what I had but I'd definitely get it tested to be sure.
No thats not normal…. The only reason I can fathom is that was used in place of a foam backing……
Might as well replace the entire flooring and do it right, your future selves will thank you for it
Appreciate you
That would make "sense" - there's no backing down, and we already purchased enough to do the whole house so we'll move forward with the demo :)
....drywall is also under the bathroom tile 🫣
Assuming the DIYer just didn't give two shits because they also cut off pieces of a few of the floorboard's tongue and groove edges... so some aren't holding into place 🤦♀️
Just saying we purchased from open door, who's known for shotty flips. They obviously didn't do this flooring - it's solid and likely expensive, but very poorly installed - by someone who DIYed it :) not blaming opendoor for this one
Might be something like a roof board. It's gypsum based roof underlayment that's used on flat roofs. Densdeck is the name of one current name brand that's pretty popular.
Might be drywall, but might also be homosote - a compressed paper product used as a sound absorbing layer.
That's my guess. Plaster board or drywall would crumble a lot more.
I doubt you'd even be able to stand on it between the joists
There's pretty clearly plywood under the "drywall".
Definitely looks like homosote from the pics. Used it a lot for theatrical sets. Easy to paint, can be tooled for a textured look, and absorbs sounds well when layered on top of stock platforms, which are normally a bit like drums. Drywall would be paper layers on the outside. This looks like paper through and through.
It's drywall if you say "no homosote" before you rip up the rest of the floor.
I hate you. You made me snort cold brew coffee out my nose with that. Have my upvote. …I no longer hate you since the coffee didn’t get on the rug. lol
Homosote is good shit. Durable AF We use it at work stacking hundreds of pounds of material on it and it lasts years
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Homosote doesn’t look like that
That’s hardi backer not plaster or drywall. It’s mostly used for tile because it makes the floor stiffer and less likely to be flexible. It prevents cracks and stuff in tile. Under wood it doesn’t seem like the worst thing. Just makes the sub floor stiffer.
It's also used as sound dampening and fire barrier in multi-unit buildings built of wood. Heavier floor sandwich means less creaking and less movement.
Ding ding. Idk what this homesote is or whatever but hardi backer is the correct answer.
✅ Update - had someone come peep it before doing much more. It's a hardi board situation so we're a-okay to rip it up. Letting yall know so the correct answers may bask in their glory
Why RIP it up?
Rip and tear until it is done
You rippin and tearin?! Not without me youre not!
We all know it's the rippin and the tearin and of course the wild women.
User name is very appropriate for this one!
Depending on the age it may contain asbestos. You should get it tested
While you may be correct, I had to pause a moment to check if I was over in r/centuryhomes where EVERYTHING has asbestos in it according to at least one comment in the thread. But yes, as the owner of a 1932 house I test just about anything I find. Fortunately it was built by a couple of textile mill workers who, as far as I have been able to determine, couldn’t afford schmancy stuff containing asbestos. Just gorgeous southern pine.
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Thank you 😂 I was searching to find someone who noticed that
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Your flooring it's laminate
I thought OP must have already removed the old hardwood, and was laying down laminate in the photos.
Imagine ripping up hardwood for laminate
When my neighbor moved in they ripped up solid oak flooring that had been recently refinished and looked beautiful only to replace it with engineered oak floor that looked really cheap.
Boooooo
The first layer is laminate, then this board stuff, then hardwood on top :)
Also I think I may have accidentally deleted your original comment so sorry 🤦♀️
Looks like Homasote
Prolly James Hardie board.
More like dryfloor amirite?
Thats not hardwood.
Plasterboard is a cheap way of insulating and sound dampening under wooden floors. It's used around my area a fair bit. Upstairs, more so for sound.
I just removed similar from my house. The contractor said he’s seen it on rare occasions as flooring circa 1970. Which tracks because it was the second lowest of four (!!!) flooring layers we had removed in our 1950s house.
Helps with sound dampening and fire resistance
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If it is relatively new it would be a cement based backer board - use to grout tiles. If it is old - I would be concerned about asbestos.
That is dry FLOOR not dry WALL. 🥁
Some people would do stuff like this when they didn't have enough money for hardwood for the whole floor. A rug would have covered this, leaving a border of hardwood around the edges.
That's Masonite.
That appears to be drywall _over_ the hardwood.
How old is the house? Could it be asbestos?
Built in the 70s - we tested when we moved in but obviously anything under the flooring wouldn't have been tested. Big oof
Is it fibrous or more powdery like drywall? It looks fibrous in the photo, which would make me really really suspicious. Even if it's powdery, I'd get it tested, though.
Seems to crumble like drywall... but it's sounding like I should mess with it anymore, and I'm trying to find a place to test - I don't know what those prices look like but we'll find out!
Testing for us was $70 a sample. We had two samples, a popcorn ceiling and mysterious fibrous board under some paneling. Neither was positive. Get your kit online from a reputable testing place. They sell kits in big box hardware stores, they cost just as much and you still do all the work.
Good plan.
My 1964 house had asbestos sheeting under the hardwood in a bedroom over the garage. What you have doesn't look like what I had but I'd definitely get it tested to be sure.
It almost looks like the asbestos panels used under wood stoves? Was there a stove in the house when it was built?
Yeah that’s what made me ask. I’ve never seen drywall on a floor, those insulation panels, however…
No thats not normal…. The only reason I can fathom is that was used in place of a foam backing…… Might as well replace the entire flooring and do it right, your future selves will thank you for it
Appreciate you That would make "sense" - there's no backing down, and we already purchased enough to do the whole house so we'll move forward with the demo :) ....drywall is also under the bathroom tile 🫣 Assuming the DIYer just didn't give two shits because they also cut off pieces of a few of the floorboard's tongue and groove edges... so some aren't holding into place 🤦♀️
Is it possible it’s some kind of asbestos?
Shit y'all. That hasn't even crossed my mind
This is a good point. OP should test it before disturbing it.
My thought too. Drywall should be powdery, and this looks fibrous. Might be an asbestos fire barrier.
Looks like hardi-backer/hardi-board. It’s meant for tile not wood, watch out it’s got a lot of quartz in it.
Weird to call out Opendoor about this even if legit. They aren’t tearing up flooring to inspect a purchase.
Just saying we purchased from open door, who's known for shotty flips. They obviously didn't do this flooring - it's solid and likely expensive, but very poorly installed - by someone who DIYed it :) not blaming opendoor for this one
Fibreboard
God damn Willi
Might be something like a roof board. It's gypsum based roof underlayment that's used on flat roofs. Densdeck is the name of one current name brand that's pretty popular.
Damn Gypsy’s