Basement floor underlayment
I am considering putting down a 12mm laminate floor in my Michigan basement, with the primary goal of “warming up” the floor surface. Currently there are vinyl tiles on the floor with many of them missing. The house was built in the 1950s and has a low (7’1″) floor to ceiling joist bottom height. What I am considering is using Selitac underlayment by Shaw Floors, which is a relatively thin (2mm) foil-faced, insulated material that would not contribute to headroom problems. I would tape all of the abutting seams of each piece as recommended. Directions for it, however, do not say whether to tape the perimeter around the room to the floor. I’ve read that when using dimple mats, one should tape the seams and use foam around the perimeter to contain any water vapor. Would the same principle apply here, that a fully taped underlayment would keep water vapor from rising up through the concrete and spreading laterally toward the walls and into the basement atmosphere? Also, rather than tape the perimeter, would an adhesive applied with a caulk gun be suitable?
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Replies
Jay,
I recommend that you follow the installation instructions provided by Selitac. Here is a copy I found online -- I assume this is the same product you are talking about: Seltiac Installation Guide.
The installation instructions call for an air and moisture seal at the perimeter using tape. That makes sense.
Here is a link to a YouTube video showing Selitac installation. The video also shows the use of tape at the perimeter.
If you have any further installation question, contact the underlayment manufacturer.
Thank you very much! The instructions in the package were not as thorough as what you linked to. I’m going with the full “tape every seam and edge” approach. I learn a lot on this site and through Fine Homebuilding, but occasionally seeming contradictions pop up when manufacturers leave out details. Now I feel a lot more confident that I’ll get it right.