What should I do about flooring material?
#1
01-06-06, 09:35 AM
What should I do about flooring material?
In finishing my basement below grade I rolled the floor with drylock, installed 2x4 pressure treated sleepers on the flat on 2' centers and then installed 3/4" tongue and groove plywood with ring shank nails and PL adhesive over them. Now I have a beautiful, solid floor that I had every intention of installing laminate flooring on top of but am now told that laminate flooring will fail because there is no moisture barrier between the sleepers and the plywood. What are my options for flooring at this point?
#2
01-06-06, 02:19 PM
I have never had this exact situation occur before, but logically speaking, it appears you have a "moisture" barrier applied to the floor with the application of dryloc. Did you drive nails or pins through your sleepers or just glue them down, or just build a frame? If you didn't infiltrate your "moisture" barrier, then you should be ok to install the laminate. Just use the proper underlayment called for on your particular brand of floor, and be sure to leave expansion space all around the room. You will receive more responses, and the answers may be more concise than mine, since we have alot of experience on these forums.
Good Luck
Good Luck
#3
01-06-06, 03:16 PM
Member
What should I do about flooring material?
You may want to go to the flooring forum.
I think the laminated flooring needs a VAPOR barrier. Check with the installation instructions for the flooring you will be using.
Dick
I think the laminated flooring needs a VAPOR barrier. Check with the installation instructions for the flooring you will be using.
Dick
#4
01-07-06, 01:09 PM
Thanks for the reply guys.
Yes, Larry, unfortunately I did glue AND nail the sleepers to the concrete useing a ramset fastener. My feeling with the drylock was that it would act as the moisture barrier and air is free to circulate underneath the floor between the sleepers thus keeping it dry but after reading a bunch of the threads here and reading some of the laminate flooring installation instructions it seems I may have been wrong. This almost seems like one of those things that can be overanalyzed and that I should just go with my gut feeling and install the laminate....
Yes, Larry, unfortunately I did glue AND nail the sleepers to the concrete useing a ramset fastener. My feeling with the drylock was that it would act as the moisture barrier and air is free to circulate underneath the floor between the sleepers thus keeping it dry but after reading a bunch of the threads here and reading some of the laminate flooring installation instructions it seems I may have been wrong. This almost seems like one of those things that can be overanalyzed and that I should just go with my gut feeling and install the laminate....
#5
01-07-06, 02:17 PM
Member
3/4" solid hardwood is not recommended for below grade installations on concrete subfloor because of moisture and humidity issues. It can, however, be installed above grade on concrete using vapor retarder with plywood subfloor or sleeper system.
#6
01-08-06, 10:18 AM
If you are installing laminate ON concrete then you need a moisture barrier. You essentialy made a subfloor so you should be fine without one. Before you install it though call the manufacture and tell them what you did and what is the best way to go about the install. This way you will also be assured that is is covered under their waranty. Good luck.
