Hi,
I am renovating a rec room in a basement. Currently has carpet, which needs to be replaced. 660 square feet, daylight basement, dry, fairly warm. I am guessing there is foam beneath the slab. I am thinking about using a 2′ by 2′ panel designed for use as a subfloor, and installing engineered hardwood on top. As well, I will be doing about 140 square feet of ceramic. To match the height I will install double sheets of 5/8 ply, nailed to the concrete.
Some advice I have received is not to bother with the subfloor, but to install both the ceramic and wood right on top of the concrete slab. I am of the view that there would be some benefit to having the engineered hardwood off the concrete. There would have to be some gain in R value.
I would appreciate advice from those with more knowledge than I have.
Thank you. Brian
Replies
Read the specs for the engineered hardwood. They probably say that you should not put the stuff directly on concrete that is in contact with the ground.
But I'll bet that there are options other than full-thickness ply.