The interior of a home is typically installed above the finished floor or on the sub-floor, with jambs undercut based on the flooring installed. The exterior is raised as necessary to allow clearance if required. Common types of flooring include plywood, OSB, and concrete, with plywood being the most common. Finished flooring may require different underlayments, such as vinyl flooring, which usually requires a smooth underlayment.
The quality and material of the subfloor can be critical in determining the type of floor to install and how. Plywood, a sheet material made up of thin layers of wood veneer, is strong and durable, making it a good choice for subflooring. Subflooring is fairly straightforward to install, but careless errors can impact the performance of the subflooring and the finished floor above.
Treads and risers make up stairs, and they are typically painted and covered. Wood floors are more appropriate for stairs as they can be installed on top of less-carpeted surfaces without the need for additional flooring. However, two layers of plywood and an underlayment (Cement Board, Ditra, etc.) are needed, followed by tile on top of that.
Stair treads are typically 3/4″ plywood, covered with carpet, but this standard is not standard in new construction. Underlayment, if required, is a thin buffer that rests on top of the subfloor, never installed directly on the flooring joists. Particle board stairs were meant for carpet, so they didn’t waste money by putting wood treads on them.
📹 Vinyl Plank, Carpet, or Hardwood Stairs- Which is Best?
Is Vinyl Plank a good material for the stairs in your home? Let’s answer that question by answering: 1. Is it safe? 2. Is it easy to …
What is a stair overlay?
The stair riser is a solid hardwood overlay designed to be installed over the existing riser, thereby transforming the staircase into a beautiful hardwood surface.
Do I need support under stairs?
Deck stairs should have a support column every six feet to prevent sway or cracking of the stringers. These should be bolted to the stair stringers and set in a concrete footing, with deeper footings for colder climates. Inspect the base of all support columns for cracks, rot, or insect infestations. Ensure deck stairs are waterproofed to protect wood from the elements and prevent damage. Checking for waterproofing is easy – sprinkle water on the deck and see if it soaks in immediately. If repairs are needed or if the stairs pose a safety hazard, our expert staff can perform a thorough inspection and provide detailed recommendations.
What holds stair treads in place?
Stair treads are crucial for the safety and aesthetic appeal of staircases, especially carpet ones. They offer both aesthetic appeal and practical traction, making fastening methods like adhesive, nails, and screws essential for durability and stability. To attach carpet stair treads, choose fasteners that can grip the underlying material without causing damage. Adhesive is a popular method for securing stair treads, providing a firm hold and a clean look. Epoxy or construction adhesive are preferred for their strength and longevity. Apply the adhesive evenly on the back of each tread, pressing firmly into place to ensure a secure bond.
What are internal stairs made of?
The interior stairs of a building must be strong and solid, with a load-bearing structure made of masonry, wood, or metal, typically steel. The steps must be resistant to wear and tear and have non-slip characteristics. Materials for interior stairs include wood, tiles, marble, natural stone, and large slabs.
However, stairs have disadvantages, such as not allowing people with different physical disabilities to climb up or down, unlike lifts or ramps. Additionally, using stairs for reaching upper floors of a building can be tiring, especially for older people, and can be dangerous due to the angular edges of the steps.
What material to cover stairs?
The primary flooring options for stairs and landings include hardwood, engineered wood, laminate, luxury vinyl tiles (LVT), and carpet. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, such as durability but potential slippage, and better slip resistance but cleaning challenges. When selecting a flooring material, consider functional and aesthetic aspects, including durability, safety underfoot, design compatibility, budget, and installation complexity.
Durability is crucial due to high foot traffic in these areas, and robust materials like hardwood and LVT are recommended. However, some materials may show signs of wear and tear more quickly than others. Ultimately, the choice of flooring material depends on the specific needs and requirements of the space.
What is the structural support of stairs?
Stair stringers are vertical support boards or structural members that run along each side or center of a staircase, allowing for the combination of various stair designs. They can be made from steel, aluminum, and various types of wood, depending on the functionality and desired look. Steel, an alloy made up of iron, carbon, and other materials, can rust. To prevent rusting, galvanized or stainless steel is often used, which features a long-lasting zinc coating to prevent corrosive materials from reaching the steel below.
Stainless steel, on the other hand, is a combination of chromium, nickel, nitrogen, and molybdenum to resist corrosion. The best material for a stair stringer depends on the functionality of the staircase and the desired look. In some cases, the stairway may be in the center of the space with two outer stringers.
Do stairs need to be supported?
It is imperative that half landings provide the same level of support as the property floors into which the staircase is installed. Furthermore, the trimmer, which is responsible for providing support at the upper and lower extremities of the second flight, must also be capable of bearing the loads that are imposed during the course of flight usage.
How are interior stairs supported?
In the context of staircase construction, stringers are defined as structural supports, with a range of variants currently in use. They are composed of string fascia, a finished surface on the inner vertical surface, and stringer capping, a top-face finish. The shoe mold serves to bridge the gap between the shoe and the drywall surface of the wall, thereby providing additional support.
What are interior stair treads made of?
Stair treads and nosing represent essential elements of staircase design, with materials such as steel, aluminum, concrete, wood, glass, and tile being utilized in their construction. The relative merits and drawbacks of each material should be taken into account when selecting a tread type. The design of stair nosing can have a significant impact on the appearance and safety of the staircase. Therefore, it is essential to give careful consideration to the design of nosing.
What do you put on indoor stairs?
Stairs are a high-traffic area in homes, requiring style and sturdy flooring materials. There are various options for indoor stairs, including stair runners, luxury vinyl tiles (LVT), laminate flooring, hardwood stairs, and stair tiles. When renovating stairs, consider factors such as flooring in upstairs and downstairs rooms, budget, and ease of cleaning. Choose a harmonious staircase that complements the existing flooring, and consider high, medium, and low-cost flooring materials available in the market. Ultimately, the choice of flooring material depends on the specific needs and aesthetics of the staircase.
What are stairs supported by?
A stringer is a support board along each side of a staircase, containing the treads and risers. A staircase typically has two stringers, one against the wall and the other on the open side. A handrail, also known as a banister, is a support system used for going up and down the staircase, fixed to vertical posts or walls. A guardrail is a barrier system on an unprotected side of a stair, protecting people from falling. It can be attached directly to the stringer or to the treads.
📹 Comparing 5 Different Subfloor Systems and What They Cost
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I have 40 years experience in the architectural world and although my experience is commercial buildings, not houses, I did not hesitate to follow the advice of the flooring supplier I have done business with most of my career. When I installed vinyl planks on my basement stairs, I also installed rubber nosings. Although it’s not the best look for a residence, I know for sure no one will ever slip on those stairs.
Epic stunt 😀 (Also have done that on carpeted stairs.) The stairs were to shallow, so I installed wood treads that were full depth (and also corrected the start/end riser dimensions). I added sand to the polyurethane coats to give a little more friction. I also added a strip of gorilla tape for a visual reference of the stair edge and a little more traction.
I am glad you are sharing this message. Inside, it’s carpet only for me. Don’t take chances with the lives of friends and family. Sadly I lost my sister in 2019. She slipped going down hardwood stairs, and broke her back. It was high enough up, that she lost the ability to breathe on her own, and passed away a few days later. Use the carpet. Your life is worth it.
My wife and I lived in our 2 story house for 43 years. We did a big renovation and put porcelain tile in the living room and hallway. There was no question that we wanted to stay with carpet on the stairs and the hall in the front of the stairs for the comfort and safety. It turned out we had to wait for a full month for the new carpet and I made the mistake of removing the old carpet so for one month we had to use hard wooden stairs. Our beautiful home became not very nice. I am 70 years old and can run up and down carpet stairs all day long. The hard wood stairs jarred my old body, felt horrible and why anybody would choose hard wooden stairs over the comfort of carpet is beyond me. When the new carpet stairs were installed over good quality 3/8 foam backing ( recommended for stairs ), my wife and I felt like we had died and gone to heaven. Remember the rest of the house is porcelain tile with a few area rugs and we love that, but hard stairs are something I will never have .
Been in floorcovering for 30 years, nearly every customer that gets a hardwood staircase, is back within a few months to get a carpet runner ( assuming they did not get the runner in the first place). Get a high density, low pile, NYLON ( not a polyester or polytriextra or olephin ) carpet for best high traffic performance
Our first home had ugly worn out rubber treads over the hardwood stairs. When we had the floors redone we didn’t put anything back on the stairs. About a month or so after, my oldest child, about 4 at the time, fell down half the flight of stairs 😬. From there on out it’s carpet or some kind of runner on stairs for us. Lesson learned and no one was hurt thankfully.
I spilled down laminate covered stairs, broke my tailbone, bashed my head and got a concussion. I used skateboard grip tape (sticky on the back, sandpaper like on the front). I put 2 small strips of this on the front of each stair, it worked like a charm and I was able to make the laminate very safe.
I can vouch for that! Ceramic tile stairs, slipped fourth from the bottom, fell on my spine and prolapsed three disks spent six months having physical therapy! Luckily at that point I lived in Austria and they have top notch medical cover without stupid high US coverage or I would have everything to cover the costs!
Great article! The house we just bought might have wood stairs (wood floors under carpet) going up to 2nd floor.. we were gonna keep the wood floors but not sure about the upstairs. I like carpet in bedrooms, plus it’s easier for my dogs to climb. If we kept wood for the stairs, would prolly put a carpet stair runner..
No joke; currently sitting on the carpeted staircase in our new home, was looking up articles on how to remove carpet from stairs as we were GOING to have the hard wood beneath the carpet refinished tomorrow along with our floors. Now, I’m looking up places to get new carpet installed lol. Seen too many accident articles on reddit, I’ll pick safety over style any day of the week. Cheers
I like carpet,, but I do get them cleaned and we don’t ware shoes in our house. I would have wood stair’s but only if it had the fancy runner carpet. It was bad enough perusal my kid land on the slate floor at the bottom when she fell down the stairs I couldn’t imagine her having to fall on each wood step before hand. She’d be dead 👀
I’m contemplating a change for my stairs. The builder grade carpet looks like sh**. Stairs are a pain to vacuum and truthfully I’ve stepped on the carpeted stair nose wearing socks and I went downtown! I’m thinking some sort of hard surface flooring and then installing a really nice stair runner that’s a very flat weave. I’m just not sure yet.
Ha this actually just happened to me 2 weeks ago. Im a athletic young guy and dont consider myself clumsy. I just installed vinyl plank treds in my house and HOLY SHIT they are slippery. I guess it really depends on the product and model. bc when I was searching for vinyl flooring options, some were extremely slippery and some not as bad. well, I was wearing socks the other day and got 2 steps down before my feel slipped right out from under me and I fell all the way down my staircase Fracturing my elbow. I just installed some clear grip tape on the treds now. looks like shit but at least it will help so my family doesnt do the same thing I did. Oh yea and a stair gauge is key for easy install. you can buy one or make one.
Well, everyone has their opinion. I rip out carpet from stairs every time we move. What you didn’t test was what kind of shoe is being worn. Slick leather soled shoes on carpet are a recipe for a fall. Grippy athletic shoes work well on hardwood or vinyl. The weight of the person climbing or descending the stairs is a factor too. Just dragging a light block of sock covered wood over a surface is hardly a good scientific test. But to each their own. I’ll stick with uncarpeted, hardwood stairs every time. (Not to mention that uncarpeted surfaces are so much easier to keep clean and allergen free.)
We have a steep staircase with vinyl plank. It looks nice but I hate it. The stairs are a bit narrow for me and they put a vinyl corner piece over the edges so walking in socks means a bump right under the ball of your foot as you are walking down. I’ve learned not to wear slide type house shoes and my 16 year old daughter actually slipped down the last 4 steps the other day and bruised her back. Seriously thinking of somehow just carpeting the stair area…
I grew up in a country were we don’t use carpets actually the stairs are done using concrete and ceramic tiles 😂 I believe what is dangerous regardless the material is the width of the step and the curved edges . Carpets do not provide square edges so for that reason they are generally considered more dangerous .. 🤷♀️
I fell down the stairs the most on carpet stairs 😅. Once a week in my old townhouse stairs and once in a year in my new house basement stairs. So yeah, totally agree it’s all in when the home was built for some reason. I never fell down my hardwood staircase in my new house. Maybe because we know it’s hard and proceed with caution 😅! Those carpet stairs are really slippery barefoot stepping wrong on the edge. Also, most people hate the way carpet stairs look and it gets really dirty fast. If selling your house always replaced them!
one way to help is rather than cutting your nosing off the existing steps, build them out using scrap lumber then your left with a deeper tread and its less work adding some boards to risers than it is to cut off noses. We use one piece vinyl stair treads by Cali Bamboo and after fitting the treads you build out risers until they are flush w existing nose then simply use either vinyl plank or desired riser material giving a finished look in crotch as it rests on top of stair tread and deepest tread possible without sticking out beyond stringers.
Carpets all fine and dandy until you step in your socks and the arch slides down the edge making both legs fly up, hitting the stair edge on your ulna snapping it in half and continuing to slide down the stairs bruising your tailbone and putting your si joint out of wack. Ask me how I know. The only time any of us have slipped and fell is when we had carpet. (4 out of 5 of us) Oldest son slipped when he was 3, fell down, hit his head on the landing and had a seizure. I’ll NEVER have carpet again on my stairs.
Good article with points to ponder! We replaced every piece of carpet in our home with either hardwood or vinyl and I would never go back. Carpet may be less slippery but it is dirty and impossible to really clean even tough you think it is, We put the vinyl planks on the steps leading to the finished basement and I we have never had any issue with slipping. The steps are up to code and very well lit and have a sturdy hand rail. What we had on those steps before was a indoor/outdoor carpet which was very slippery.
I’ve been installing all types of flooring for 32yrs now and in my house the stairs will always be carpet. Lost count how many times I’ve lost my balance on stairs considering I have a below knee prosthetic for the past 18yrs. 1000% recommend carpet. On another note make sure your installer wraps the underlay over the nose of the stair. Big difference!!!!!!!!
Can you do a article on comparing drywall repair products? I liked the 3 products for baseboard repair article. The internet seems to all point to spackle for nail holes but what about bigger holes? A place I Just recently purchased had a ton of wall hangers that had been painted over multiple times. I’ve got tons of chips in the paint at eye level throughout the house because of it
Sock-a-Tron Slip-o-meter 4000! 🤣 where can I buy one? In general, I really dislike carpet, it’s very dirty and horrible for allergies. Maybe would do a runner. There is quite a variation in textures of LVP and hardwood, so your experience could be different. The other extreme is paint! I remember falling many times down my grandparents stairs that were worn smooth and rounded, with several coats of enamel paint! 🤦🏻 They also had about an 8″ rise and 8″ run!
Cheap carpets are plastic so it’s down to money. I’ve actually slipped on carpets a lot more than anything else. I’ve found self adhesive fake wood tiles, and stuck them on the treads, and warmed them with a heat gun so they bend under the nose, and then stapled them. It’s rough, and not slippy, and wait for it…….. They are THREE TILES FOR £1!!!! OMG! A couple of D nails on top. So now you can change them often, and they even have marble, or slate.
I clean carpets mainly for a living for many years. One of the largest rental property owners I work for has removed carpets from their rentals with the exception of the stairs for the very reason you mentioned. I suspect they don’t want to be held liable for an accident. Btw, guess where the dogs urinate now? Not long ago one of my customers had her son fall down the stairs to the basement she said he fractured his neck. I don’t know how bad the injury was, but I’m well aware of what can happen with such an injury. The thing is, those stairs were covered in carpet and had a proper rail. It’s the only time I’m aware of since I started out in 1987.
😂😂 your article was funny and informative 👌👌… can you please make a article on what to do fix any spacing from between the vinyl floor and the wall due to bad cuts? 🙏 I paid this company to do my stair case but they did a horrible job. I got my refund back but I’m left with uneven cuts along the trim/stair case wall. Can you help please? I haven’t been able to find a article on YouTube that can help me.
Yeah the contractor dad of the previous owner finished one side of the basement. He used a nice sage colored Carpet as a runner up the center of the steps with padding and the edges were painted white. I loved how soft it was to walk down to the basement but man the painted edges really killed me. The dirt got trapped there and I had to wash each edge all the time. Then I had to repaint them. Three or four times. finally I ripped out the carpet runner. Talk about filth on the carpet and under it! Well dandy. I sanded primed and painted after removing all the staples. Lasted less than a year. I’ve painted them again. They look like hell. I’d love to Cover them With vinyl plank but I got a Quote for 665 square feet plus the steps and it was 7k! I don’t really want to spend that. Carpet was only a bit less At 4K and change. What should I try next?! I don’t have the ability to do this myself. Husband doesn’t either. Oh and we have old Asbestos tile and tile Tacks under the disgusting old Carpet now?
Step covering is subjective …. Hardwood, too slippery. Vinyl …. less slippery, than what? and will the glue give loose. Carpet, dirty. I have natural wood … one set clear polyurethane and the other (to the basement) painted grey. Natural wood provides a safe and clean option. There is a fourth option. Please stay safe.
This is weak research at best. A glossy vs Matt finish offer different resistance. Also the issue is the nose of the tread, not the tread when it comes to being slippery. For many reasons like dirt, mites, allergies..etc. carpet is not wanted. For both vinyl and hardwood there is another solution. There are a large variety is metal non-slip nosing to choose from that actually add accent and solve the problem of hiding the edge. For wood stairs a silica sand can be lightly applied to the edge when the finish is wet, making it anti-slip, and virtually invisible.
Please be safe. I think Vinyl, Laminate, and hardwood are all dangerous on stairs. I know carpets are dirty. I think using a easily replaceable carpet runner may be the best way to go. You only have to fall down from a slippery stairs once to realize carpet is the safest option. Since permanent carpet is too hard to replace therefore I recommend a runner option.
I saw the ‘dummy’ falling down the stairs in the preview and had to click. Worth it. If you want to improve stair traction when using vinyl or wood, consider the surface texture and a good toe strip (the piece at the front edge; probably has an official name). Otherwise stick with carpet for the ‘cushioning’ effect when you face plant your way down.
Omg 🤣 your stunt double, i actually spat my tea out laughing. Carpet all day! Falling down hard stairs is no joke! And everyone does it sometime. When carpet pile compresses it can get a little slippy, and some carpet types are better than others, its all about considered choices. Thanks for content 👍
Wood at top, then carpet for the rest. I’ve got 2 sets of 14 steps straight in 11 feet. Wood at top step, then carpet, and never had a slip. But other set with carpet at top step: several misses, always the top step. Friction won’t save a heel that misses the structure under the step, but the soft steps below make the ride survivable.
When I decided to re-do the stairs in hardwood I didn’t want the kids slipping and falling down them – so I hammered nails through the bottom of each step leaving the points exposed on the top surface and then I spread a layer of glue on each step, sprinkled them with sand, gravel and pieces of broken glass for the best no-slip surface possible. The stairs look great and we’re all safe!
This is purely anecdotal of course, but I have both wood and carpeted stairs in my home, and while I’ve never (yet) slipped on the wood, I slipped almost a dozen times on the carpeted stairs before installing non slip plates on them. Now, I never wear socks, so perhaps your slip o meter isn’t calibrated to my experience. Or maybe new carpet is different from older carpet. Etc…
2 things I wanna ask about finishing an indoor staircase: 1. Would you recommend doing the skirt board before putting on the flooring? Or finish the flooring then skirt board? 2 – unfinished stairs have nosinh that I don’t wanna cut off, is it really necessary to remove the nosing if I’d put on LVP? I think I could just cover them with nosing moulding. What you think? Sorry for the questions but would appreciate your expert advice!
As Terry Bull posted in the following, “Get a high density, low pile, NYLON ( not a polyester or polytriextra or olephin ) carpet for best high traffic performance”. Four years ago, I hired someone to remove the old carpet and installed hardwood for the entire house EXCEPT the stairs where I got Home Depot to replace the old carpet. We are a family of 4 in the house for 33 years and are so fortunate that no one falls from the stairs. I think the choice of carpet is very important.
I love this website so much. We bought a house in southern BC (Nelson), built in 1973, and it’s a pretty humid house, even in the winter. I’m doing our basement right now and have gone with the Barricade Thermal Armor HDF panels. They actually cost pretty much the same as the other Barricade products per unit (at our Rona here in town) but are larger so it worked out cheaper. About 1400 for 650sqft after tax. I chose this as it offered the best R-Value and being an old house with just baseboard heat, we’re trying to make it as warm as possible in the basement for family and friends to come and stay as that’s where the guest suite is. There are some foundation issues as it’s build on a very wet hill, so the foam board right on the floor wasn’t an option for us. But this article definitely explained in 5 minutes what it took me about 2 hours of reading online to ascertain! Thanks so much for all the articles and content, it really does help all us so, so much!
Hey Jeff! I watched a ton of your previous articles on flooring and just finished the living room in my basement. I decided to go with the DMX over the DRICORE not only because I was worried about water and moisture but also the cost. The difference in price between the “regular” DRICORE and the DMX was a difference of 500$ in my area for a 300 sqft space. My basement has a slope going towards the drain and when I measured the distances, it fell within the range without filing (1/2″inch over 4ft). Therefore technically I would not have fill gaps etc. If I were to do this project again I would most likely invest more so that I could have my entire subfloor as level as it can be. I am seeing the results of placing my 7mm rigid vinyl flooring over the DMX as well as trying to align all of the baseboards and quarter rounds. Compared to the other products, there is no way to level DMX than to use self leveler or just fill with concrete. DRICORE sells plastic shims that will level each sheet as you progress and I assume with the Durofoam you can shave off and add pieces to fix this problem as well? Also with DMX they advertised a lot that there would be a great difference in temperature when compared to the DRICORE, I would have to say that this is false. My floors are not ice cold but they are not as warm as I thought they would be either. Keep up the great articles they have been a lot of help for me!!! P.S I am about to put in door frames that are not prehung, could you possibly make a article in the future on how to put them up starting from scratch!
Great work. I have a 1969 northern Ontario bungalow and finishing it. I’m looking for thermal break on the floor. Was looking at dmx but I want warmth on my floor too. Northern Ontario remember. I have some effervescent white powder marks from concrete sweat in some areas. No water seepage concern as I am elevated and downspouts away from house.
You forgot price range for the blue dimple DMX OneStep. It’s about .78 cents per sf. at HD. I used it for my basement grow room thx to ur older article. Now iM using it for the rest of the basement as it worked just fine. Plus I don’t want to lose inches in an already low ceiling environment. Thank you for the new fresh update and the info u squeeze into every vid. We live in MA. I’m a wife of a great man that is not handy. We speak Spanish. We call you El Canadiense. Whenever my husband wants to argue w me about how to do an HI task, I just say El Canadiense said and he complies. 😂
Jeff, I love the way you think. I would 100% recommend using some type of barrier between the slab and whatever flooring one might choose. My house is over 100 years old and the cement flooring in the basement is only 2-4″ thick. It was sloped so as to website any water to one particular spot. I used the 1-Step DMX as an underlayment, built runners so as to even out the floor, and put 3/4 plywood subflooring with deck screws. I also laid a bead of construction adhesive on top of the runners before laying down the plywood. In-between the runners I stuffed in rigid styrofoam. Now my basement has an actual vapor barrier, thermal barrier, is level and insulated. It stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Cheer!!!
Hi Jeff, I’m a huge fan! I’m planning a full basement reno in my 1950’s home. I live in Salmo, BC so I’m looking for a flooring solution that takes into consideration moisture and thermal … and what makes it even more challenging is I’m also dealing with a relatively low clearance ceiling so need to keep the subfloor as thin as possibly without sacrificing comfort as this will be a rental suite. Thanks for your help and giving us the confidence to tackle these projects alone 🙂
Thanks Jeff, our house was built in 1976. We are in Michigan. Has a sump pump. Have had no water issues as of yet(1.5 years). Want to finish a large portion of the basement. probably 1,000 square feet. Will probably do vinyl on top of whatever subfloor we use. Curious as to what we should use. I am nervous about well pump, water heater, water softner, things like that leaking at some point. Hopefully it never happens just if it does, I don’t want that to turn into 10-20,000 in damage
When I gutted my basement a few years ago down to concrete walls and floor, I went with 1″ XPS foam boards on the walls and in the rim joist and DMX dimple mat on the floor. Laid down Vinyl planks directly over the dimple mat. I haven’t had a single issue with my basement that was built in 1970. I am located in the midwest and go through all 4 seasons. I also put in a new sump pit during this time since the old one was not done right. Kuddos to your website and the knowledge from my dad. Saved a ton of money doing it myself.
Since you said we can have a conversation about my basement…. I just bought a 1950s house in Chicago. The basement is pretty short on height, no more then 5’7″, in the winter it gets too cold and we can’t hang down there. We have brick wall all around and concrete floors. No water down there but a lot of moisture, we have a dehumidifier working day and night. This winter would be nice to have it warmer so we can use it without losing too much height and not spending too much! Thank you!
Followed your website for years. When it was time to redo flooring in basement, we did geotextile fabric (good landscape fabric) to eliminate click of dimpled membrane over concrete, tuck taped, then folding 3 mm underlay, then 12 mm good quality laminate. Installed cold air return, too. What a difference in reducing moisture and better temperature comfort of basement (SW Ontario).
Great explanations of the options! I’m going with the insul armor for my 110 yr old house’s basement, in Minnesota because: – Thermal barrier (r value of 4.1) – Water/vapor management built right in – Thinner than combining durofoam + dimples – Easiest to get into my narrow basement ( I had to cut my 8×4 drywall in half to get them into the basement space it was awful) It is a little more expensive, but actually in the US, they just announced a 30% tax credit for home insulation modifications; save those receipts!
You have saved me thousands over the yrs Jeff. I’m pulling out carpet in a basement that is finished and has playroom, gym and bedroom. It’s a 1930s build. I may have to level some of the floor but we are putting in a Shaw engineered hardwood tongue and groove. Probably need vapor barrier but what would be best?
The Insul Armor products look really cool, but they seem to be focused on DIY friendliness while skimping on performance. It doesn’t make sense to me to have so many joints – it just multiplies the potential problems down the road. For an old basement, I like the dimpled membrane + foam board + OSB solution. It might be a thick assembly, but at least you know you’re mitigating all three potential issues: air, water leakage, and human error.
Hi, you’ve been an unvaluable source of knowledge for my DIY projects at home. We were one of the impacted homes with the recent flooded basements in Quebec and Ontario provinces. Water came from the sump pump, My 90’s basement was entirely finished, and as separation of the concrete, there is full skeleton structure of 2x4s and on top of them, there are 2 layers of 5/8 plywoos. Before we had carpet but I recently installed a floating waterproof Vinyl floor. Water raised around 6 inches in some spots getting under the laminate vinyl florr as well, so we need to remove it, and the disaster company is suggesting to open the plywood and dry the 2×4 structure under. I’m try to see for options different than keeping the whole wood structure and apply any flooring system than can be waterproof in case of any other flood that can be easily dried and cleaned, that has a good appereance and thermically isolating. Things like rubber or any other flooring that doenst required to be removed after a flood. Waterproofing a 90’s home seems to be near to impossible unless I spend big bugs, so I’m looking for alternatives. I owuld like to have anyhting with wood particles so what would be your suggestions?. Thanks in advance
Wish this article was available sooner. I’m in the process of finishing my basement on a 2 year old home and spent a lot of time and did a lot of research before putting in the subfloor. I used the DMX One Step and tuck taped all the joints as well as tuck taping the DMX to the wall vapour barrier. Where I wasn’t finishing all the way to the foundation wall I put down a heavy bead of concrete sealer between the DMX and concrete. I then used spray foam around the concrete wall perimeter. On top of the DMX I put 1 1/16 inch Durafoam R5 then 5/8 inch OSB T&G. The DMX web site says to use 15 tap cons per 4×8 sheet of OSB to fasten it down. They also said to squeeze some concrete sealer into each hole drilled through the OSB/Durafoam/DMX to maintain the vapour barrier. I looked at the black house wrap that DMX makes that was mentioned in the article. It does cost a lot less than the One Step and is much wider resulting in less seams but One Step is made from virgin plastic and the house wrap is made using a lot of recycled plastic. The process and chemicals used when recycled material is used results in a significant amount of foul smelling off gazing which could be an issue for a lot of people. I do have a slight problem. My grandson, wanting to help and surprise me, did some of this subfloor for me when I was away for a few days and left some gaps between the OSB T&G sheets. I’ll be using luxury vinyl for the floor. Is there a product you could recommend to fill in the gaps please? (There’s enough that I’m concerned but not enough to warrent covering the whole floor with self leveling compound.
I live in a really quiet location so for my home theater I didn’t want bass transmitted to the outside through the concrete slab, so I used Dricore R Plus with an 5/8″ OSB topper for my subfloor as a sound break over concrete. I did screw the edges into the concrete to secure them as recommended by the mfr, but with the OSB on top I doubt it was really needed.
10 years ago we finished half the basement. I installed a Dri Core sub floor on my own and then had wall to wall carpeting installed. A few years later the hot water heater sprung a leak and the water travelled UNDER the floor to another side of the basement (its an old house with nothing level). The Dri Core subfloor saved my bacon.
Thanks for the article, my house was built in 1976 so my concrete is moist (bag test is wet), also could probably benefit from the thermal barrier. I’m hoping to put down a nice vinyl floor. Initially, I liked the idea of doing the DMX roll with the OSB on top since it would feel nice and ridged on the foot, after your article I think my best bet is the insulated foam board so I get the websites and also a thermal barrier. According to your article I would be able to put flooring right over top of that system, Done! Any comments to my thoughts/ plan would be appreciated
First off I wanna say I love your articles and have learned so much, Im in New Jersey ( new england area in the USA )… Im in the middle of doing my basement and would love to know what would work best for me. I Just put in french drains and since the basement has been dry ( use to get water ).. Have a contractor helping me finish the basement and would love to do it the best way possible. Im a vinyl record and vintage audio collector and would die if my stuff was ruined but moisture or water damage.. Really appreciate your time!
Another stellar article, Jeff! Thank you! Question – we have a house built in 1970, no moisture issues thankfully, but our existing floor is carpet (pad on top of concrete) and the floor is so cold. The challenge we have with choosing a subfloor is that our floor is not very level (significantly sloped towards the floor drains). leveling is possible, however I’m not versed in raising the floor drain and I’m afraid it could open a can of worms. Any suggestions?
Just found these articles. Thank you. We’re building a large shop in NW Montana—weather is almost like Canada. One wing 12’x45’ is going to be my wife’s quilt shop. We’re trying to decide what flooring to install. I’d like your advice and recommendations. We watched your articles and it sounds like durofoam and 5/8 osb would work well. We haven’t committed to a particular flooring but wood laminate, tile or vinyl are ones we’d consider. The slab is 6-8 inches of concrete with good drainage. It doesn’t have a vapor barrier and since I have ramboard down haven’t tested for moisture. Thank you.
What an excellent website, I have learned so much in regards to DIY. Back when Covid first hit in 2020, I watched your website to learn how to build a deck, and after about a month straight of hardwork, I remodeled our entire deck and added a staircase that I am damn proud of for a first major DIY build. Here I am on one heck of a building kick again, learning all I can from you folks!
I’m leaning towards the InsulArmour option.With a Rvalue of 4.1, I like the idea of anti-fungal protection and moisture management even though my ’86 built Kootenay home is very dry. With water, you never know. Question: Do I put OSB on top of the InsulArmour? If so, would I use concrete screws (as you did with the DuroFoam option) to secure the system? I understand that InsuArmour is very rigid, but I’m curious about down the line if we decide to change wall layout our construct build-in shelves etc. It seems to me that OSB on top (like your DuroFoam solution) would give me more options for future renovations. Would love some feedback!
I’ve used Dricore on several basements. It’s worked well. Although I wish it were solid plastic vs. having an OSB layer which can soak up moisture and self destruct if immersed. I think one thing you missed is that cement is going to vent moisture into the building cavity. I cut openings every 15+ feet around the perimeter and then put Reggio registers into the openings. That allows breathing for the cement floor whether it’s just vapor or if you get water. And I have had water come in from a wall leak and it was easy enough to use my shopvac to soak up the water. If I hadn’t done that, the water might have got into the Dricore. I’d be concerned if you put a solid piece of foam against the floor. I think the floor is going to have some water vapor coming up from the cement and then it will condense against the foam and you’ll have a wet floor underlayment that will never dry. Yes, it will be separated from the finished floor but I would be wary of mold and mildew. I enjoy your vids!
I always enjoy your articles. I do get occasional flooding in my basement (working on an exterior solution) of an inch or so. Legit had two floods in the first month I lived here. However my current finished floor is an ugly rubber interlocking tile that sites directly on the concrete. This works but I’m worried about mold under it over time. I’ve been running fans for almost a month with a dehumidifier. I’ve seen the dricore OSB panels in the big box stores but was always worried that OSB doesn’t manage water well and would be a waste of money once they get ruined. The other Dricore foam panel seems like it might do the trick combined with a waterproof LVP on top. Never knew about it. This article was super helpful.
Hi Jeff!! My dad and I love your DIY articles. We just finished renovating my bathroom thanks to your tiling and waterproofing tips. Last year we laid down lifeproof vinyl plank flooring, from homedepot, in my basement which has a concrete floor. In the room before there was carpet and i never noticed any water issues and we did not use an underlayment (since the plank already came with a pad). A few weeks ago I noticed crusty debri coming up between a few planks. I undid the whole floor and found puddles of water. the walls seem dry so I don’t think its water intruding into the house. I live in an older home and live in an area that gets pretty cold in the winter. Trying to find the best subfloor to avoid moisture problems coming up from the concrete. I was thinking of going with the dricore but i would your thoughts/opinion. Thanks!!
Hi Jeff, thank you for this article and all of the articles you have made. They are great to watch. I live in the greater Toronto area. The home was built in 1982. For me the main problem in the basement is the dampness in the basement and sometimes the wetness on the walls. Which system would you suggest? In addition, do you have a article on redoing the weeping tiles around the house. I believe that will be my summer job around the house.
Love the “there is no best” mindset. That’s often the question with many things. There is no best. The question should always include the application, and desired outcome. For a 97 build in a northern climate, no issues to fix in terms of moisture (already have water management to under the slab and sump pump) seems like the dimple membrane is the best option. Also like that it’s not super thick which would mess up step height and become a possible code violation.
Great article! I need to make subflooring purchase re. basement:water management vapour + climate. Our house southern ontario, late 50s bungalow, good elevation, We had nice laminate flooring placed on top of parquet (The Carpet Store advised this, to save me money) but then…. a year later, up popped the laminate in two spots…. we did our research and the house is healthy, in fact, darn good re foundation etc. (parquet is gone now, we will re-use the flooring) but now WHICH PRODUCT for below the laminate: Delta FL (Dorken Delta? Basic Delta?) Dricore? I need to make the right choice as pulling up again would give me such heartache (we also had nice pantry units made… all had to come up, yuck). Maybe you will not see this as 1 year after article posted. Cheers
This is perfect timing for me. I’ve been trying to decide what subfloor to use for finishing my basement, so I’d love any thoughts on it! My basement is generally dry, but I live in a pretty wet area and have to rely on my sump-pump when there is any water at all. When the pump went out during heavy rain, water seeped in at the base of the walls, but all ran pretty perfectly to the drain, and we’ve never had water in the basement otherwise. So I am intending to use some sort of dimpled membrane to guard against a similar failure in the future, but I also only have 7 foot ceilings in my basement, so I don’t want too much buildup on the height of the floor. We’ve also, I think, landed on carpeting the space, since it will primarily be a playroom for young kids. It’s a 1991 build in Ohio.
Thanks for the article Jeff, and for the moisture test suggestion. I’m in the Ottawa area, with a 1990 built home. Basement currently has vinyl tile squares glued down to the concrete with carpet over the tiles. Plan to remove carpet and use vinyl plank. Do you recommend removing the tiles and scraping the glue off the concrete? Or just put the vinyl plank over the tiles? Any wall cracks that have lead to water intrusion have been fixed. Thanks!
1st of all, I very much appreciate the detail and honesty of your articles. Thank you for creating them. I have a 100 year old house with an uneven basement floor. Its half-a$$ed half finished right now. I want to keep a rough finished hang out space there, but need to manage moisture. I will only need one short section of interior wall to separate the utility space. 1 step, or insularmor? Will rigid Insularmor be at risk of braking or cracking if the floor is too uneven?
Hi Jeff. First off, thank you so much for your generosity and time. Your articles are immensely informative. I have a room that was once the second half of my garage. It is an un-insulated on grade slab and is ice cold in the winter. My challenge is that I only have 1 1/2 inches between the slab and the threshold. I would like to avoid re framing the door to the garage if possible. I don’t know that there are moisture issues specifically but since I fully intend on putting down floating floor, would using DuroFoam as the thermal break be risking moisture issues as that would be no air gap? Re framing the door isn’t out of the question but I’d like to avoid. Thanks
Thanks! I’m in Montreal. My biggest problem is the thermal barrier. I was wondering, do you do the walls after or it doesn’t matter? How you do for the walls barrier? I have put Durafoam on my fundation in one room, but the vinyl flooring is directly on the cement. No biggies, the floor is not too cold. THANKS AGAIN. I’m gonna check your article “My custom subfloor system” 🙂
Man, you are the best teacher. Thank you so much. 😊 Our scenario is a mid 70’s, Vancouver Special, slab on grade. The main floor has tile throughout and the floor is freezing in winter. My questions are 1) should we first rip up the tile or just install over it (it’s level)? 2) should we somehow assess the foundation slab, retroactively vapour barrier under the slab, and then test for moisture on the floor before even considering flooring options? – assuming this is even possible! 3) do our floor system options change if we want some on demand in floor radiant heating (electric) under our engineered hardwood ( how to not mail through the electric wires)? Love all your articles. You are wonderful; and Canadian just adds to the perfection. Many thanks!!
Hello Jeff. I have a 2 year old new construction in Cedar Lake IN which is located in NW Indiana bordering the IL state. Builder informed us that they had “zip line cracks” in to our basement floor?? Cracks have not gotten any worse or bigger in the last two years and We have not had any water or moisture issues yet, Thank God! Would the Drycore Insularmor be a match for us with plank flooring to be installed over it
Hi Jeff Couple of questions from the Netherlands please. I would like to insulate my living room floor ready for underfloor heating. Under the floor there is around a 1.5 meter space with a sandy surface and it appears to be dry and not wood rot existing. The floor is basically wooden beams with wooden planks on top, an underfloor with then a wooden oak floor on top. In the Netherlands the approach is normally to place a plastic membrane on the sandy floor to stop moisture from coming up from the sand and to insulated between the rafters. I was going to build up the floor as follows: 1. Plastic moisture membrane on the sandy floor, sealed at the sides. 2. Wedge PIR insulation boards between the rafters at 120mm thickness. 3. Any tips or comments on how I was intending to build up the floor. 4. Any tips that you would do whilst the underfloor is exposed? For example I am going to add insulation cladding to the pipe work of the heating. Run some network cables. Would you do anything like cementing the brickwork to make it more airtight or sealed? Airtight rafters or prevention of rot where the rafters go into the brick foundation? Many thanks in advance Mark 3. Maybe put a moisture stop on top of the rafters. 4. Place chipboard boards down, instead of reinstalling the existing planks and glue and screw them down. 5. Installing underfloor heating. 6. Install a concrete like floor. My questions please: 1. When installing insulation between the wooden rafters, should the insulation touch the underside of the floor or should I leave an air space of say 10mm?
Very informative article! I’ve been trying to build up the courage to start finishing my basement and this series is extremely helpful. Would be curious to see what the detail looks like for these flooring systems at the perimeter finished walls. Any extra steps needed? Or just run the system right up to the wall?
Hi Jeff, your articles are legitimately some of the most helpful on the internet for DIY. I have a floating slab with an approximately 1″ gap around the perimeter of course but it also has cut lines in various spots across the floor. House is 5 years old. Can the Dricore go right over the cut lines or do they need to be filled in with something? There was minor movement from settling but nothing significant. Thanks!
Hi Jeff, I love your articles! You’ve helped me complete a lot of projects. I’ve got a 1948 house with a basement that has a steep sloped floor towards a floor drain(almost 2.5″ right at the drain). My main problem is moisture, and I’ve already had a floor drain system with sump pump, installed for wall leaks. No water through the floor though. I don’t necessarily want to finish the full floor, but want to install a bathroom in which the floor drain would be in the room. What would be my best option for flooring? I was thinkin of doing the DMX bubble sheet with
Hi Jeff! I have a cracked poured cement subfloor that leaks as well as at the footing where it meets the cinder block foundation walls (which i plan on using waterproof mortar on). I have a sump pump that gets common use which is why I love your article. Do you think these tile products will do the job as a subfloor? Also, if don’t mind, have you ever used pressurized epoxy? Thinking about solving my footing issue. I really appreciate your content Jeff thank you very much!
Hey Jeff! Thanks so much for going through all this, it’s a huge help. You said to come ask questions, so here goes: We have a 1997 home in central Ohio, mostly dry except one corner of the basement. When we get rain, we get about 12-20″ wide patch of damp concrete all the way down the height of the wall. With the previously installed Owens Corning fiberglass walls directly over the concrete blocks, we would get a small puddle in the corner. After removing the two panels that touch the ingress point, we no longer get any water on the floor. We’d like to go back to carpet on the floor, but I am hesitant to put that in without solving for the water ingress issue. Obviously the ideal solution would be to figure out why the water is coming in from that corner and stop it. That said, can any of the solutions you shared in this article be used for carpet? It seemed like you focused pretty heavily on various vinyl and hardwood flooring overlays, but we use it as a music and recreation space, so the carpet is actually helpful down there even if it’s not the hottest thing on the market. Secondly, any tips on finding the source of the water ingress? There is a downspout on that corner, but dumping water through it didn’t cause any backup, so I don’t think the drainage is overflowing. My next step was to find a way to get article during a storm to see if other water not from the gutter is pooling there. After that, I suppose it’s time to start digging away to find cracks and websites?
Hi Jeff, love the website. been perusal you for years, about to finish my basement located in Ontario. I’m wondering which subfloor is best for me. I live in a 2 storey home built in 2021 with a walkout basement. The foundation is wrapped with the black DMX for foundations. Was looking to do what you did in your basement renovation article and lay down the black DMX underlayment then 5/8 obs tongue and grove board over top, and finishing it off with a vinyl planks floor system. does this sound like the best option for me or should I consider using the DuroFoam instead of the DMX? any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for all of these article! Long time lurker, first time commenter – I live in Kanata, house built in 1989, w/ builder finished basement (carpet on slab). Looking to replace the carpet w/ a good LVP. No moisture issues to date. Small basement windows. not 100% sure i can get a 4×8 sheet down. Does Dricore R+ make sense here? Worried about deflection issues from DMX 1 step and LVP. I am looking for thermal break and moisture management (through the concrete pad not infiltration from walls etc). As you are an expert in the Ottawa area – any other thoughts that could work?
Hi Jeff, thanks for this article. I’ve been going back and forth on this. 1979 home, with a walkout. No signs of water in basement, aside from a little effervescence on the block. I’m spinning my wheels on which system to use. I had always planned to use the same subfloor system you used in your older basement subfloor article. After perusal this now I’m leaning towards the DMX 1 step, especially with cost of OSB. If I go this route, should I frame my walls over top of it? I’m planning to use Rigid Foam Boards on the block wall like you’ve shown on your other basement articles, but then I worry that moisture would travel down the block wall behind the rigid board and just collect on the top of my subfloor? Any advice on this? Thanks! Greatly appreciate your website, especially as a homeowner who lives in a cold climate.
House we bought was built in 2003 in Montreal (QC) area, I’m debating if I should reinstall the laminate flooring and add a subfloor (right now it’s directly on concrete with an integrated cushion base), Im wondering if it will make a difference or not. I’m mostly looking for comfort/warmth, moisture seem OK (I’ll do the test you mentioned though). I was thinking about the insularmor. 500sq-ft. Awesome website you have!
Jeff, I watch all the articles. Great stuff. Here’s my scenario. Live in Chicago. 1800 sq ft space in the basement to add a floor. 100 year old house. Basement poured cement foundation is not deep (3.5′). Permaseal fixed cracks in the foundation, but once or twice a year, I’ll get a trickle of water from the exterior walls after a huge rain. We have floor drains though and a pretty big slope in the concrete. Boiler/radiators/pipes in the basement mean that it is toasty down there. Do not have condensation moisture issues. What would you suggest for a subfloor below LVP? Much appreciated!!
Man I have to say this You ROCK!!! I just bought a 2016 home last year and the Basement is half finish, just say partially framed but not insulated. I do not know if there is any insulation underneath the concrete floor, I want to know if I can go with the Durofoam on the concrete floor be fore we install the Vinyl flooring. Please help and advise.
Love your articles man. Question: Just bought my first house, 60’s bungalow in Cambridge, ON. Grading away from the house on 3 of 4 sides. Did the first walk through during a heavy rainfall, no sign on leaking or moisture problems in basement. Could I eliminate Trufloor tongue & groove if I use the dimpled membrane, then Durofoam, then luxury vinyl? Thanks
absolutely love your articles. My brother is helping me with a full renovation of my basement. I live in Virginia and have a 1977 home with a basement. I plan to install LVP flooring, but would like to address moisture and thermal issues. So far, we have found some signs of mold on the framing. Nothing too serious, but looks like there is moisture coming from the walls down to the framing. After perusal this article, I am still unclear as to what I should use. I think Durofoam is the way to go, but do I use something under it for the moisture/vapor barrier? And do I use OSB on top of the durofoam on which I would install my LVP? Just a little confused what I should use underneath and over the Durofoam. Your advice would be greatly appreciated.
I have an additional room built onto the house I purchased. I laid caulking between the concrete slab and wall to cover the gaps for possible bugs. The caulking has turned a green color, so I’m guessing there’s moisture. But it hasn’t come through from the pavement outside into the additional room. Do you have an suggestion for underlayment to put between concrete and wood flooring? I’m in California.
My house is an old gas station built in 1950. There is a basement In the living quaters behind the shop with 7′ celings, I’d like to finish it out. The floors are super uneven (I assume I’ll have to pour a self leveling concrete) and this town I live in is a marsh so we have water problems and it’s a northern climate. I think I solved any flooding issues but I’d like to know if that durafoam would work with water management in mind as well as a vapor barrier
I’m in upstate NY with a 23’X23′ Basement with a sump pump. In the summer we run a dehumidifier because the floor sweats rather quickly. There is a drain website around the outside of the room with crushed stone in it. I’ve seen this damp but never any running water in it for the last 10 years I’ve lived here. I’d like to finish the basement for an office/living space, and I’m thinking after perusal this article that my best bet would be to use the dimpled underlay, followed by the durospan insulation, and put a laminate flooring on top of that. What are your thoughts on that idea? Also, if I don’t use any OSB/flooring for this, how would you suggest anchoring the walls? I planned on framing them and having closed cell insulation blown in after it’s built and wired. Thanks for reading this if you get to it!