Is a subfloor on top of 1″ of XPS foam unecessary?
apiersma
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
I’m remodeling a basement that is dry. I propose to glue down 1″ of XPS foam, then install a wood laminate floating floor on top. Adding in a plywood subfloor seesm extraneous if you are going to float a floor above it. Has anyone done this?
Replies
Laminate flooring is not rigid -- it will flex at the joints. When you walk on it or put heavy furniture on it the developed PSI can likely exceed the strength of the foam.
The foam will break down over time.
You need a subfloor that is stiff enough it won't transfer point loads to the foam.
Try asking the tech support folks at Dow for their recommendations.