Basement underlayment

Something a little different than I normally post on this site. I have been researching options for putting laminate flooring in a basement, there are so many options.

The Problem

  • Basements are often wet
  • Concrete is cold
  • Ceiling height may be limited

I was recently looking at a basement that has laminate flooring installed directly over concrete, which works I guess but must be very uncomfortable during winter months.

Possible Solutions

Here are some possible solutions that I have found for improving the comfort of laminate in a basement. None of these are fixed to the concrete and can have laminate flooring installed directly on top.

  • Dricore – $190 100 sq/ft – 1.7 R-value – 22.22mm – Dimples create air space under the floor, OSB top.
  • DMX 1-Step – $90 100 sq/ft – 0.91 R-value – 7.94mm
  • DMX Airflow – $?? 100 sq/ft – 1.2 R-value – 4mm
  • Delta-FL – $66 100 sq/ft – ?.?? R-Value – 8.00mm

The insulation value of any of the above products seems very limited, however having the flooring off the actual concrete should make the floor feel a lot warmer.

DMS AirflowDMX Airflow seems like the best choice to me, availability may be limited in Canada (even though it is made there) but the cost seems to be about the same as DMX 1-Step although I can find no actual retailer.