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Our utility room has a very chilly floor, making it the coldest room in the house by a long shot. It is currently stone tiles straight onto concrete.
I want to replace this with something waterproof, hardwearing, easy to clean but mainly something warmer, with more thermal insulation than the current sod all.
If I use levelling compound to put something above the rough and lumpy tiles, there's about 20mm of height to use; if I remove the tiles there's probably nearer 40mm.
The inlaws have just put laminate in their utility room, which includes a foil faced underlay layer, but I get the impression laminate isn't good if it gets wet. I was thinking about vinyl, but what can you put it on? There would be room for thin celotex board, but I presume it isn't rigid enough on its own without something between it and the vinyl.
Research on the internet is hampered by lots of dodgy sounding solutions and things like underlay advertised as having excellent insulation properties that is somehow still suitable for use above underfloor heating. Yerwhat?
I don't know much about floors, but I'm happy doing the grunt work... or am I just better off getting a man in and leaving him to it?
My in-laws have got Amtico in the kitchen / utility. Warmer than tiles. Doesn't look rubbish.
Research on the internet is hampered by lots of dodgy sounding solutions and things like underlay advertised as having excellent insulation properties that is somehow still suitable for use above underfloor heating. Yerwhat?
You don't want something with excellent thermal insulation between underfloor heating and your feet - it would defy the purpose of the heating. You probably want good thermal insulation under the underfloor heating though
Good quality vinyl floor tiles would be a good option as suggested by Jim - there's loads of brands out there now that most people can't tell from the 'real' thing unless you point it out to them.
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I have just replaced a laminate floor with a 15mm Engineered Oak floor, with 5mm foil backed underlay, its onto a concrete floor, and it definitely feels warmer to the touch than it was before.
Slippers
I'm sure Viz Top Tips was the source of that MaccyD's advert.
[b]thesurfbus[/b] solution sounds good for your situation.
Are vinyl tiles resistant to rough treatment, especially the edges and corners? Through this room is the only way to the back garden, so regularly gets the mower, bikes and whatnot passing through. I was thinking about a continuous sheet, unless tiles are good enough? I presume they would be a lot easier to install...
Engineered wood is overkill for a boring old utility room, isn't it? It would be the nicest floor in the house, never mind just being a bit warmer!
Slippers are what we currently deploy, but that doesn't help the sucking-the-heat-out-of-the-whole-room problems.
the-muffin-man: is the R-value of a squashed sheep (or polar bear?) documented anywhere?
If you have 40mm, I would use 20 or 30 mm foil backed celotex insulation with the floor of your choice floating on top of that.
Your comment on laminate, take a look at aquastep made by quickstep, it is made for wet situations and isn't wood but plastic/resin stuff.
Another option is Marmoleum You can lay as one sheet and even tank the edges up the wall