Replies

1. 
   kevinbrown966 | Sep 04, 2012 03:09am | #1

   I just put down a floating type floor with engineered wood in my basement and I love it.  You certainly do need to install the 6 mil vapor retarded (plastic sheets-don’t have to be black); this will help keep any moisture coming up from the slab to move to the sides and not get trapped beneath the floor.  Make sure the edges of the vapor retarder run up and around the floor at the perimeter and that there is enough room so there is a chance for the floor to move and to allow moisture to escape. As far as the bubble underlayment, I chose to use a closed cell foam that came in a 3’ wide sheet.  You do need some type of cushion beneath a floor like this, the thicker the more comfortable.

2. 
   k1c | Sep 05, 2012 10:51am | #2

   New basement slab and radiant slab both will throw out a lot of water during curing and afterwards.  I would let it cure, then heat, vent or dehumidify until the slabs pass plastic sheet taped to floor moisture test.  This could take months.

   What kind of engineered floor are you using?  Solid stock, veneer on plywood, plastic laminate? 

   You can screw plywood over the slab, but you have to be absolute about where the radiant pipes go.  Take a photo of the entire floor with the pipe laid, and closeup of sections with the ruler as reference.  Pipe must be installed with later flooring in mind.

   Laminate floating would be safer, then veneer, although laminate is more slippery.  I would not use sleeper or solid floor.  If floor is small enough, use one sheet plastic (thickest you can find) to cover the entire floor or join sheets using gorilla tape.  Then use basic cushion rolls.  You don't want thicker rolls to block the heat.

   If you can still change the plan, I would put down extra insulation panels (headroom allowing), then use ply sheething that comes ready grooved for radiant pipe, then floating floor.  There is a down side to this.  You are putting in a lot of organic material that will attract mold.  If you have humid summers or seasons, you need to use the dehumifier.

3. 
   MikeSmith | Sep 08, 2012 02:29pm | #3

   John

   gluing the floor to the slab will give better heat transfer than floating it and give a better floor too

   We use Mannington on all our concrete glue-downs

   The radiant slab ranch house we built about 4 years ago is still going strong  with no complaints about the Mannington floor

   the glue is super strong...

   biggest problem we find is renting a 100lb roller... leaning against the wall in the pic

   
1. 
   JohnWalker | Sep 08, 2012 10:01pm | #4

   What is that pink paper? Is the photo of a glue down application or just the 100# roller?

   Thanks

   John

1. 
   MikeSmith | Sep 09, 2012 11:38am | #5

   after

   we glued down the floor we covered it with rosin paper to protect it

   so.. the pink paper was the previous day's work

   we also laid cardboard over the rosin paper for more protection