engineered wood floor in basement

[Mark Modrall]

Hi...

We're thinking of putting one of those engineered wood floor systems down in our basement (Easy-Lock at Lowes). In that area of the store, they had samples of the flooring, and then they had 2 grades of vapor barrier. The low end was basically just a sheet of plastic; the high end was a sheet of plastic with some felt attached to make the floor spongier. The latter bit puzzled me a little - if you really expect a moisture problem, wouldn't the felt just trap it and become a mold factory?

Thanks

-Mark

[hallerb]

Fake wood floors can be noisey unless its padded. Kinda sounds like a women in stilletos when anyone walks thru area/

If you have moisture water troubles FIX THAT FIRST with things like interior french drain with sump pump.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I used Mannington engineered wood. They had tow types of barrier, one for above grade, one for on or below. The below grade was a poly sheet but had a poly foam, not felt backing. My guess is that the stuff you saw had specific uses. Try a real flooring store and you may have better guidance and better materials. You can see what I used at

[remod2006]

Check out the Formica brand of laminate flooring, I hear it's more waterproof to begin with, as a design spec.

Mark Modrall wrote:

[Just mee]

Its real wood

[Mark Modrall]

I've been trying the aluminum foil/saran wrap taped to the floor to test the moisture (and here in the Northeast this summer, we've had a

*lot* of it!) and so far the tape test shows no problem.

I was just perplexed that a product that said "moisture barrier" on the label would then have a felt layer... If you *do* have moisture problems, it seems like having a felt layer on the barrier is just begging more.

I imagine the felt would cut the noise and make the floor more comfortable, though.

-Mark

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Felt is a cotton product. I'm wondering if it is truly felt, or a synthetic material that feels like it. Just like the fleece fabric made from soda bottles that feels very soft.

[Tim Killian]

Water in a basement can come from above too. All it takes is a leaky drain or a frozen pipe and that wood floor will get very wet.

[hallerb]

theres vinyl floor that looks like wood, costs less and getting wet doesnt matter, easier to install too and probably more comfy and definetely quieter.

in some applications hardwood deratives are a soultion looking for a problem.

our hardwood is really rough, from a previous tub flood before we moved here, 50 years of use etc etc....

currently covered by wall to wall we have thought about sheet vinly looks like hardwood.

we have 4 dogs and carpet... it just doesnt stay clean.

vinyl would be a quick mop job easier and better.

I prefer the comfort of wall to wall. at 49 years old I remember when that was the BEST flooring had by ritzy realtives and friends.....

now its hardwood, noisey harder on feet, does look nice but.....

wall to wall is still top of my list

[Goedjn]

"felt" is a process, not a material. It means taking a mass of fiber in random orientations, and mashing it until it becomes a sheet. Animal fiber (especially wool) works better than most plant fibers. Silk doesn't felt worth a damn.