I am doing a basement finish for a client, and they want to put real hardwood on the floor.
The floor is concrete, about 60 years old, and I put the foundation wrap over it (that dimpled plastic sheet). That is covered with 3/4 inch exterior grade plywood. The origional intention was to put down a foam underlay with vapour barrier and floor it with engineered hardwood. Then they wanted to go with laminate. Now they want hardwwod, mainly because they have two boxes left over from the remodel done last year on the main floor.
Any opinions about doing it this way?
stemreno
Replies
The latest issue of Fine Homebuilding has this issue as the cover story.
Yes, I saw that, but Charles used engineered hardwood. I don't think it is a good idea to install real hardwood below grade, even with the steps I have taken. The client wants it, though.
Just curious what other's thoughts are such as how much moisture would the wood be subject to....any other thoughts.
Hmmm, I thought this might have some interest, I guess not.
"I don't think it is a good idea to install real hardwood below grade"Any evidence of leaks or excessive moisture penetration?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
does it make sense to put a few courses down and measure moisture content before and after and see if unacceptably high ?
At 60 years old, the concrete has to be pretty low MC, and unless their basement has a history of flooding at all in the last dozen years, you should be fine with what you've already done. 5 year old concrete be a different issue.
But you also have an awesome out - they have asked you to do it ! so barring the factors that make it too much of a higher risk, you get to say - "Listen - not ideal, but we'll do everything we can to mitigate your risk - but no free calls back if you get warping or too much seasonal movement"
Gavin Pitchford
"Sail fast - live slow" (build even slower)
Well, that was my thinking exactly. Just by being below grade, does that make the room more moist? The walls are also insulated and vapour barriered, and the central heating system has returns and vents, so the air will be circulating all through the house. I would think moisutre in the air would be the same all through the house.
stem reno
I would think the moisture actually less in the basement above the floor (warm - and therefore more moist - air rises and the cold drier air sinks. But below the flooring - between the flooring and the VB / concrete floor no circulation therefore whatever moissture is present magnified.As Piffin says - whats the history ?The other thing to note would be to remind your customers to mop up any spills instantaneously - especially in the grooves - as any moisture pernetrating the floor would be trapped with nowhere to go - cause the wood to swell and then create a barrier to the moisture escaping possibly leading to cupping. In most T&G hardwood floors above grade a spill has the ability to infiltrate / migrate to other surfaces and dissapate before causing too much damage.Gavin Pitchford
"Sail fast - live slow" (build even slower)
Sounds OK to me. You have a VB with the dimple drain plane.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!