Need Suggestions - 2nd Floor Gameroom Flooring

[DeannaD]

Off topic (even for OpenTalk), but I was told there are some flooring experts lurking around here.

We have an upstairs gameroom primaily used by my 2 teenage boys to watch tv & play video games. The carpet is ancient and in need of replacement. I really don't like carpet, but I've been advised against putting hardwood upstairs because of excessive noise. We looked at cork flooring (supposedly quiet), but my husband was unimpressed by the way it easily dents.

Before I go choose carpet can anyone suggest something? We also have a dog who spends some time up there.

thanks!
Deanna

[Digigeek]

Not really many options for a second floor. Hard flooring will frequently crack or seperate because of the flex in the subflooring and movement of the structure unless you have it prepared for the hard flooring. Since it is a second floor, every shift in the house will be more pronounced. Carpet is really the best choice.

[Cajungaltx]

Denna,
I am the only girl with 7 older brothers, and one younger... and I grew up working construction... plus, I just did a crapload of research on flooring because I am getting ready to rip out all the carpet in my house, and replace it with laminate wood floorig.

I disagree with whomever told you no to hardwood flooring.

And I disagree with Digi (sorry Digi)...done correctly, laminate flooring is installed using a 'free float' method. That means it's not actually 'attached' to the sub-floor...and if someone tells you to do so - fire them, and hire someone else. When it's done correctly, it shouldn't separate OR crack because of the natural movement of the structure. Weird stuff like foundation heave/drop caused by plumbing issues are up for debate though, lol.

Now, just like carpet, where you put down a pad...you need to put an underlayment down under your flooring.

This goes over the sub-floor (same as carpet)... then laminate flooring is put on top of the underlayment. The flooring 'locks' together (tongue in groove type thing)... or if you are doing real hard wood flooring - glue the actual tongue in groove together. Laminate would be my choice though - priced right - and it's more durable... especially considering you have a dog.

Some laminate flooring comes with the underlayment already attached to each plank - avoid that kind.

You guys were actually in the right area with the cork flooring... with one issue... you actually use cork flooring as the underlayment because it DOES provide a very nice sound barrier (one of the best in my opinion). But.. cork is usually glued down... and depending on the age of your home... it might 'not' be an option if your flooring isn't even. It requires the subfloor to be pretty even. I'd check though - if sound is a REAL concern, and with boys... it might be worth the effort in checking, lol.

But, if it was me, I'd use a modified underlayment. Usually it's denser foam, or closed cell foam... sometimes it's rubber...depends on what you want...and what your options are for where you are. I just saw that you are in Sugarland though - so you have 'all' the options I do over here in Katy.

I think it's probably a better fit for your situation.

The whole purpose is to reduce more sound than the standard underlayments. This underlayment reduces the sound traveling BELOW the floor (so your first story).... and should work quite nicely.

Not sure .... but I'd also check to see if the ceiling between the two is insulated... it requires pulling up the sub-flooring... but it makes a HUGE difference. If it's not, and you decide to insulate it - don't 'pack' the insulation in it... and use unfaced (no paper) insulation. Cut it into two strips and put it in there with a space in between them... it bounces the sound around and reduces it.

Hope that helps!

Donna

[ESHernandez]

Deanna,

Does your house shift?

What about carpet, don't you like?

There are all kinds of different carpet types now..

IMHO for a Game room. How about a Parquet Carpet(Tile carpet)? Comes in different textures, colors, sizes.. Especially important in a Psuedo Media Room(High Traffic).

Carpet Tile is great for DIY'ers.. Let's you customize.. Especially if you have dogs.

Can't remove the stain?? Pull the tile, go to Home Depot and buy some replacement(s) and replace and reset. Tada!! Your good as new..

[picman]

I did my living room with a click and lock laminate with a seperate foam sheet underlayment. I then did a dining room in a Pergo with an attached underlayment. I liked the feel of the attached underlayment product better. It seemed more solid and quiet.

With the click and lock product, gluing the edges was optional - and I wish I had. I can feel a couple of edges when walking.

Very important - the floor doesn't have to be level, but it does have to be even. There isn't much tolerance for dips and bumps. You will feel them later and forever.

Laying out a square room is pretty easy - if you have more than one door you have to think ahead. I had short hallway with 4 openings, one attached to the living room flooring. That one hall took almost an entire day of "engineering"

I would do laminate again in a minute.

[David Whatley]

I agree with Donna on this one. I would advise to screw the sub floor down well. Thats where most of the noise will come form.
DW

[L Stegall]

I live in a 1916 house and we have hardwoods upstairs (which was added during an extensive remodel several years ago). We haven't noticed any issues with our upstairs wood floors and our house, given it's age, definitely has a few shifts in it. The couple we bought from had a big pool table up in what is our "media" room. Can't tell you how loud it is downstairs, though, cause we don't have teenage boys tromping about.

[DeannaD]

This is a TON of great information. Our house is 14 years old, so maybe the shifting is nearing, but I haven't noticed any so far. I am intrigued by Carpet Tile. I think I'll check that out along with the free-floating laminate.

Donna.. you are amazing! Thanks so much.

Deanna

[Cajungaltx]

Originally Posted by DeannaD

This is a TON of great information. Our house is 14 years old, so maybe the shifting is nearing, but I haven't noticed any so far. I am intrigued by Carpet Tile. I think I'll check that out along with the free-floating laminate.

Donna.. you are amazing! Thanks so much.

Deanna

*lol* Don't tell anyone... I try to keep it undercover... *lol*

[tc95]

Donna's, right....I would also like to interject....that if you have older kids you might want to put down a noise type barrier so that you might not here what is going on upstairs when you are down.....do the screw down of the floor, then level it (if needed), then put the noise barrier, and then float the laminate....

Donna can probably tell you the best thing for the noise issue...

Opps did not read the whole post...Donna already said all this...LOL

[nastytrucker]

Whatever you do DONT skimp on the underlay material. Alot of people spend lots of money on the Laminate and cheap out on the underlay, this dosent provide a good base and the quality of the Laminate material is reduced.

[Jeff_Green]

I may be confused, but it seems that a lot of noise issues I have experienced are because the flooring does not absorb the sound and it bounces around down the hallway, or down the stairway. I would consider the issue of not just noise passing through the floor but through the rooms. A wood floor, laminate floor, tile floor, etc allows for noises to resonate throughout the house until encountered by something that will absorb the sound. Carpeting of any kind will help to minimize that noise.

[toverman]

We live in a home built in the early 1960s with a room over the garage (currently a playroom but eventually a game room for the whole family). It has lowpile carpet that looks like wood planks. :-)

We installed the floating, click-to-lock laminate in all the bedrooms and hallways and really like it. Our living room has Dupont carpet that doesn't absorb liquid ... you can pour a 2-liter bottle of soda onto it and it just beads up. Don't do that in my house, though, please.

Upstairs, we're leaning toward similar carpet or possibly some of that rubberized stuff that locks together that's made for garages. It comes in gray or black or a bunch of circus colors (I prefer the gray). Is soft and foamy, somewhat insulating for noise, and can be easily replaced if one of the squares gets damaged. I'd love to put wood or laminate up there, but with the unheated garage below I just don't want the floor to be too cold.

[Nikolai]

Get the glue in type. I do both on the side, and you wouldn't believe how crappy the slide'n'snap stuff looks after a year.