Lighter than felt synthetic underlayment is just as easy to work with.
Subfloor between sheets tar paper.
Most of the job can be done with overlapping layers of tar paper.
Tar paper and the subfloor tar paper is used under hardwood floors for moisture and squeak control.
Underlayment installs on top of the subfloor and provides an ultra smooth surface for linoleum or vinyl flooring.
Vvl is about a shingle and two tar papers.
Low is about 2 depths of tar paper.
It s possible that the tar paper was being used as a shim to raise the floor level rather than as something for vapor barrier what have you rosin or tar between hardwood and whatever is underneath is generally to reduce squeeks.
In the course of a kitchen remodel in my 50 s or 60 s era home i see that my subfloor in that room is a double layer of 5 8 plywood.
I used low low very low and very very low.
Synthetic underlayment started gaining popularity in the last decade.
And if it was the later it.
I had several areas that were 3 shingles deep 80 is in the multiple tar paper category like 2 4.
Floating installation underlayments pads are especially important for engineered floors or laminate floors which are installed via the floating method over wood or concrete subfloors.
And then use a hand stapler to attach to the subfloor.
Floors that require underlayment also benefit from building paper.
Felt paper also referred to as tar paper was the standard underlayment material in roofing for decades.
There is tar paper tacked in between the two layers of plywood and there is tar paper glued to the top linoleum type tile was glued on top of that.
The tar paper was either used to minimize squeaks between the sub floor and underlayment or if it was under the flooring it could have been a tar install linoleum job.
Rosin will eventually turn to dust but tar paper probably holds more moisture in the event of a leak.
It was easy to use durable and even had alignment lines to help with the shingle installation.
To rid yourself of the cat smell the most practical solution is to use a product called kilz and you just roll it on the floor and let it dry.
Only the lowest spots require shingles.