A well-laid floor is a warmer floor

Q: I am in the process of finishing our basement. Concrete is sealed, walls are up and painted and we are now ready to finish the floor and want to do this properly. We are hoping for a comfortable, warm area where the family room will be used on a regular basis. In the playroom we are going to finish the floor with large rubber puzzle pieces. The family room will be finished with either carpeting or laminate; we still haven’t made up our minds. What steps do you suggest to finish the flooring properly?

A: Since you have already sealed the concrete floor, the next step would be to install the Delta-FL membrane on top of concrete. This is a dimpled membrane that allows concrete to breathe and also serves as a vapour barrier, which in the end means a warmer floor. Once the Delta-FL is in place, you install your sub floor on top, and then finish with either underlay and carpet or laminate flooring. If you follow this process you can achieve a 25 per cent warmer floor; as well as saving heating costs you will also notice the basement will be dryer.