FAQ
Installing Laminate Flooring with DMX 1-Step™ 2.0
1. If I am laying vinyl flooring how thick does it have to be?
We require an 5mm minimum thickness of click vinyl plank flooring when installing on 1-Step™ 2.0. If you use a thinner vinyl plank flooring product we suggest the use of a 5/8″ T&G OSB over the 1-Step™ 2.0 first to provide these benefits. If there is too much deflection in the vinyl plank flooring, it could compromise the joints, or the snap lock mechanism of the flooring, which would void your vinyl plank flooring warranty.
We recommend to check with your vinyl plank floor manufacturer on their limits of deflection for the specific floor you are installing.
2. Do I need to lay an OSB subfloor on top of DMX 1-Step™ 2.0?
Floating floors that include a click-type mechanism for connecting the pieces together can be used without the solid subfloor. These floors are considered floating floors and providing they are at least 5mm thick there is no need for OSB.
Floors like solid hardwood, and some engineered hardwood are nail down floors. If you are installing a nail down floor, then you DO require an OSB subfloor on top of DMX 1-Step™2.0 because the nails need to be secured into a solid substrate.
3. Do I need to install a foam underlayment on top of DMX 1-Step™ 2.0 before laying laminate or engineered floors?
DMX 1-Step™ 2.0 DOES NOT require a foam underlayment to be laid between it and the laminate/engineered floor.
4. I plan on using your DMX 1-Step™ 2.0 underlayment for a 12mm laminate floor. Would I gain any benefits from putting down an underpad layer of cork between the DMX and the laminate? Or would that be overkill and unnecessary?
The use of a layer of cork underpad between the DMX 1-Step™ 2.0 and the laminate flooring will provide some increase of thermal performance since cork provides some thermal breaking properties and the total overall mass of the assembly will be increased. It will also increase the acoustic benefits of the floor assembly (especially if over another area where there is living space below), but for normal basement use is not required to be installed for acoustic purposes.
The installation of the cork will not affect the performance of the 1-Step™ 2.0, nor the laminate.
5. Can DMX 1-Step™ 2.0 with 15 mm laminate on top support a pool table placed on it?
The 15 mm laminate material should be thick enough to handle the load from a typical pool table, however you should check with the manufacturer of the laminate to ensure that the “click lock” system will also handle it. The 1-Step™ 2.0 with this thickness of laminate will handle the load, as well, without issue.
DMX 1-Step™ 2.0, on its own, has a compressive strength of 12,000 lbs per square foot.
Installing OSB with DMX 1-Step™ 2.0
1. How do I seal the holes that are drilled during installation of OSB subfloor?
When you pre-drill the holes in the OSB subfloor use Tap Con screws. Prior to driving the screws into the concrete dip each screw into a polyurethane sealant before inserting the fastener into the bottom plates of the wall. Since the Tap Con screws have two different threads (a cutting and tracer thread) the sealant will be deposited on the membrane as it goes through. This helps maintain the vapor barrier that has been penetrated by the fastener.
2. I have 3/4” engineered hardwood to put over top. Do I need to still place the 1/8 foam sheet over your product and under the hardwood?
You do not need to install the foam over the 1-Step™ 2.0. You will need however to install 1/4″ thick shims along the perimeter of the walls to provide the air space needed for expansion of the wood and ventilation. The shims can be made from any non wood product, such as plastic or fiberglass, to match the height of the final floor elevation.
3. I understand that I need to apply a 5/8″ tongue & groove OSB/Plywood over DMX 1-Step™ 2.0 first for other types of LVP, such as loose lay or glue down. Do I need to glue the OSB/Plywood to the 1-Step™ 2.0? If so, what kind of adhesive do you recommend?
The installation of the OSB/Plywood would not need to be glued at all. The OSB/Plywood is screwed to the floor to form a solid subfloor.
Installing Radiant Floors with DMX 1-Step™ 2.0
1. Can I install radiant heated floor mats over the 1-Step™ when installing vinyl or laminate flooring?
Radiant heated floors that do not exceed a temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit can be installed with our underlayment. We do recommend to contact the radiant heated flooring manufacturer to confirm the compatibility of the radiant heated floor of your choosing with DMX 1-Step™ 2.0.
Leveling the Floor with DMX 1-Step™ 2.0
1. If by chance my basement isn’t leveled properly (I haven’t actually taken note to see it is or isn’t) how would I go about leveling this above the concrete?
To level the top side of the concrete slab, using a string line from corner to corner of the areas to be checked, stretch it along the surface of the concrete slab and check to see where the high and low spots are on the slab. Using a 48″ bubble level check the differential between the high and low areas to see if they are in the range of 3mm over a 3m span, which is about 1/8″ over 10′. If so this is acceptable. Also check to see that the slope or differential runs in a single direction (and example would be from side to side or end to end of a room).
Any areas not within this limit of slope should have a self leveling cementitious coating put over the low areas to bring them into the range as specified or true level. The more level the floor surface the better the finished installation will be, and your experience will be more positive. When considering laminate or engineered hardwood floating floors it is especially important to get the floors as level as possible since even a 10 mm thick laminate floor will have deflection in it which can be accentuated with an uneven floor.
There should be no high and low spots spread randomly throughout the floor area, this can lead to movement issues in the 1-Step™ 2.0 and the laminate or engineered hardwood. Perfection is great, but since that is not usually possible the level on the slab should be such that the slopes in the floor are consistent in terms of direction (side to side or end to end) and within the tolerance mention above.