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Ground level flooring advice needed elanamig 10-12-2006
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Posted by elanamig on October 12, 2006, 10:15 am


Hello, group!

We're currently looking for the optimal floor for a ground-level of a
high ranch. There is no basement in this house, so the ground level
sits right on top of the concrete foundation. Currently, the floor is
concrete covered with a carpet. We'd like to change the floor to make
it warmer and stain-resistant. So, our current plan is to remove the
carpet, put down DRIcore subfloor, and put engineered hardwood on top
of that. Our two major concerns with this plan are the cost and the 2+
inches it will take off the hight, since the ceilings on the ground
level are not too high to begin with.

Some other options that we are considering: DRIcore+linoleum (vynil?),
but that does not look as nice as engineered hardwood. We were even
considering real hardwood, but that would take even more inches off the
height, and that's not preferred.

Another thought that's brewing: Is dricore really going to help keep
the rooms warmer? I've heard that engineered hardwood can be put down
directly on concrete (with a water-resistant lining). That will give
us another inch in the height, but if the rooms will be perpetually
cold, we don't want it.

What do you think? Are there other combinations that are better than
dricore+engineered hardwood to minimize the height loss and maximize
the warmth gain?

Thanks for your input!
Elana


Special 468x60
Posted by Joseph Meehan on October 12, 2006, 10:43 am


elanamig wrote:
> Hello, group!
>
> We're currently looking for the optimal floor for a ground-level of a
> high ranch. There is no basement in this house, so the ground level
> sits right on top of the concrete foundation. Currently, the floor is
> concrete covered with a carpet. We'd like to change the floor to make
> it warmer and stain-resistant. So, our current plan is to remove the
> carpet, put down DRIcore subfloor, and put engineered hardwood on top
> of that. Our two major concerns with this plan are the cost and the
> 2+ inches it will take off the hight, since the ceilings on the ground
> level are not too high to begin with.
>
> Some other options that we are considering: DRIcore+linoleum (vynil?),
> but that does not look as nice as engineered hardwood. We were even
> considering real hardwood, but that would take even more inches off
> the height, and that's not preferred.
>
> Another thought that's brewing: Is dricore really going to help keep
> the rooms warmer? I've heard that engineered hardwood can be put down
> directly on concrete (with a water-resistant lining). That will give
> us another inch in the height, but if the rooms will be perpetually
> cold, we don't want it.
>
> What do you think? Are there other combinations that are better than
> dricore+engineered hardwood to minimize the height loss and maximize
> the warmth gain?
>
> Thanks for your input!
> Elana

Is the issue keeping the room warmer, or making the floor feel warmer?

Have you consider under floor radiant heat?

The carpet is about as good as you can get when it comes to the floor
"feeling" warm.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit



Posted by elanamig on October 12, 2006, 10:59 am


> Is the issue keeping the room warmer, or making the floor feel warmer?
>
> Have you consider under floor radiant heat?
>
> The carpet is about as good as you can get when it comes to the floor
> "feeling" warm.
>
> --
> Joseph Meehan
>
> Dia duit

Well, there are radiators and the insulation seems OK (we haven't spent
a winter in this house yet, so we don't know for sure), but I think
that if the floor is not cold, the room will be alright. I'm just
worried about how much a cold floor would drain the room of heat, and
would make the heating bills too high. That, in addition to it just
being unpleasant.

We've looked at underfloor heat. But as far as I understand,
underfloor heat requires a real subfloor (with 2x4's and plywood on
top). Add to that the finish (hardwood, etc), and it would take way
too much off the height of the rooms.


Posted by Joseph Meehan on October 12, 2006, 12:36 pm


elanamig wrote:
>> Is the issue keeping the room warmer, or making the floor feel
>> warmer?
>>
>> Have you consider under floor radiant heat?
>>
>> The carpet is about as good as you can get when it comes to the
>> floor "feeling" warm.
>>
>> --
>> Joseph Meehan
>>
>> Dia duit
>
> Well, there are radiators and the insulation seems OK (we haven't
> spent a winter in this house yet, so we don't know for sure), but I
> think that if the floor is not cold, the room will be alright. I'm
> just worried about how much a cold floor would drain the room of
> heat, and would make the heating bills too high. That, in addition
> to it just being unpleasant.
>
> We've looked at underfloor heat. But as far as I understand,
> underfloor heat requires a real subfloor (with 2x4's and plywood on
> top). Add to that the finish (hardwood, etc), and it would take way
> too much off the height of the rooms.

If were mine, I think I would try to stick with carpet this year and
then you would have a better idea how comfortable it really is and where the
problems, if any, really are.

Carpet is a good insulator.

Under floor heat is very doable, but I would question how economical it
would be. Heat will move both up and down. Adding heat under the floor
means some will move up into your heated area and some will go down into the
foundation and from there into the ground. The parts close to the edge of
the home will loose a fair amount of heat. The center will loose very
little. Concrete and earth do insulate. Not as good as most things used to
insulate but they do.

I doubt if you are going to loose as much heat through the floor as you
are thinking. However if it FEELS cool, then you are likely to turn up the
heat. Carpet will feel warmer than a wood floor if both are the same
temperature. I would guess that the temperature of the wood floor you are
talking about and carpet are going to be about the same so the wood may feel
colder than the carpet you want to replace and you may increase your heating
bills.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit



Posted by Joseph Meehan on October 14, 2006, 9:47 am


elanamig wrote:
>> Is the issue keeping the room warmer, or making the floor feel
>> warmer?
>>
>> Have you consider under floor radiant heat?
>>
>> The carpet is about as good as you can get when it comes to the
>> floor "feeling" warm.
>>
>> --
>> Joseph Meehan
>>
>> Dia duit
>
> Well, there are radiators and the insulation seems OK (we haven't
> spent a winter in this house yet, so we don't know for sure), but I
> think that if the floor is not cold, the room will be alright. I'm
> just worried about how much a cold floor would drain the room of
> heat, and would make the heating bills too high. That, in addition
> to it just being unpleasant.

The floor will be the same temperature as the room unless it is cooled
some how. With a slab floor it will be a little cooler on the outside, but
the center of the floor will be room temperature. Even dirt is an insulator.

>
> We've looked at underfloor heat. But as far as I understand,
> underfloor heat requires a real subfloor (with 2x4's and plywood on
> top). Add to that the finish (hardwood, etc), and it would take way
> too much off the height of the rooms.

That depends greatly on the type of heat and equipment used. There are
many choices.


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit



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