Q: I am going to install hardwood in my basement. I will most likely use the engineered wood, but I was wondering if I need to install a vapor barrier? Also, have you ever heard of someone installing a foam layer beneath the wood to offset the “unlevel” concrete basement floor and prevent popping zones from occurring?
Thanks,
Don
I tossed a few emails back and forth with Don to get a few more details about his project. He mentioned he was thinking about a floating installation, but is open to either floating or gluing his floor depending on which will give him the best result.
Don mentioned that he will be doing this project himself and that this is relatively new construction. We had a short phone call to discuss necessary items and what will give him the most bang for his buck. He plans for this area to contain a bar, arcade game and to be used for hosting parties and a general rec room.
A: Based on the room itself and what you intend to use it for, I would highly suggest looking into a good floating floor. Also, to account for the traffic, I would use a 6mm cork underlayment. Product wise, look into a 5 or 7 ply product as a minimum and try to find something with thicker plies as this will give you a much higher quality product which will resist denting and expansion/contraction better than lower quality product. As far as accounting for slight changes in subfloor height, as long as the difference is 1/32″ or less the underlayment should account for this. If you have more variation than this, use a self leveling compound to even this out, but it is likely that this will not be an issue since this is new construction.
Also, look into a floating cork floor as an option. These floors are well suited to a good amount of foot traffic. Should you want a hardwood floor only, make sure to find a dense floor with a hardness rating equal to white oak at a very minimum, although I would personally look into something nearing the 2000 Janka rating or higher hardness as better options.
Don also mentioned he had looked into tile for its durability, but he had been told that with the concrete underneath and the movement that will occur (no matter how solid and unmoving concrete may seem, it still moves folks) that it would crack the tile. This is true, but there is a solution for this problem. Using an uncoupling membrane such as the ones made by Schluter will prevent this, but the installation takes quite a bit of work, so Don has decided he’ll look into a floating floor.
Product wise I suggested looking into Bellefloor, BR-111 and Saso for good engineered floors and APC or Westhollow for a good Cork floor.
