Wood Floor underlay....

[daniel_donohoe]

Hi,

Any suggestions for a quality underlay preferable with DPM, for a real wood floor.

Ground floor installation, mix of concrete and floor boards.

Cheers

Dan.

 

[WoodYouLike]

Before I go into advising on different products:
A) has any room a mix of cement/floorboards,
B) or has one room concrete and another floorboards?

If A: try to have one type of underflooring in one room (reason, see B) e.g. laying hardboard first (cheapest option) and then foam without DPM
If B: specially on groundfloors it's not recommended to use DPM on floorboards. This will prevent the normally ventilation and can cause rotting to the floorboards. On floorboards use minimal a 2 - 3 mm Polystyrene foam.
On concrete/screed floors use DPM and insulation, there are now several 2-in-1 products available at various prices (2 - 3 mm foam on DPM with overlapping, self-adhesive DPM strip). If you need extra sound insulation with DPM try Timbermate Excel.
If you are based in the East Kent area, we might be able to help you out, see our advert as flooring supplier in the TN24 area.

 

[daniel_donohoe]

Thanks for your help, much appreciated.

One room is screed, the remaining floorboards. Didn't even think about the DPM on the floorboards. Would using a product like Timbermate Excel provide a thermal insulator ?

Would like to use one type of underlay throughout out, perhaps using a separate DPM, and a good underlay throughout the groundfloor would be a better idea.

Cheers

Dan.

Ps, I'm in Surrey.

 

[WoodYouLike]

Hi Dan
All underlayments act as a thermal insulator, one more then the other. Timbermate is a kind of rubber product. The Excell version comes with a 'integrated' DPM, so no use to you then. Or, you can use Timbermate Excel in the concrete room and normal Timbermate in the others.

Your idea is sound, as long as you place a thresholds in between that one floor with concrete and the others (i.e. treat it as a separate area, so no 'moist' can still come from the concrete room to the others).

Any good wooden flooring retailer can help you with Timbermate.