10 Home Basement Ideas

Best Flooring Options for Your Basement

It is a challenging task for many homeowners to select the right flooring materials to use for the cellar. The best type of the flooring material is that which is quick to repair and dries easily. Having proper water damage defense can help prevent your floors from getting damaged from water.  But it is important to have floors that can handle possible floods. The most beautiful basement floors are those that blend innovation and practicality. The various types of flooring materials include:

Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo is an exceptional choice for your basement because it is naturally water-resistant. It is an excellent choice because your basement may have sub-floors and an overall high-moisture atmosphere. Humidity saturated air may cause damage to your floor made of solid wood. The moisture may cause expansion and contraction of your solid wood. Finally, the wood will develop gaps. The solid bamboo preserves its structural integrity because it is water resistant unlike the basement made of solid wood floor. You can easily glue-down solid bamboo to a concrete sub-floor because solid bamboo is a superb choice for flooring below-grade floors. However, you need to complete a moisture test prior to gluing the basement sub-floor to the floor. If there is excess moisture content, you need to evaluate other options to eliminate damage to the basement floor.

Floating Floor

If you have a lot of moisture leaking from your basement sub-floor, then a floating basement is an excellent choice. Floating floors allow for greater protection against moisture present by permitting the installation of a moisture barrier over the concrete slab. You need not worry about lacking options when you consider the floor for your basement because floating is possible for the majority of the engineered products and laminates. Engineered floors and laminates are an ideal choice if you want to renovate your basement space because it is easy to install the floating floors.

Laminated Flooring

If you want a basement flooring option that is simple to install and durable, a laminated floor is the way to go. A plastic resin covers a layer of tough film of the top veneer of the laminated floor. A melamine infused laminated floor is one of the best choices. Melamine provides the laminate unlimited moisture protection because melamine contains moisture resistant additive. Laminated flooring replicates the look of ceramic tile, stone, and wood. You need to treat some varieties of laminated flooring to make an excellent choice for basement applications and to resist moisture.

Engineered Flooring

If you need a real wood product, then you need to consider an engineered floor. The material that makes an engineered floor is a veneer placed over other layers of wood. The construction of engineered floors permits them to remain structurally stable since the climate of the basement changes around them. This construction enables them to be perfect for installing a basement. The engineered floors are available in various styles and colors. If you are design-conscious, you will not have difficulty in arriving at the right floor for your basement project.

Cork Flooring

If you want an earth-friendly choice of the floor, then cork flooring is the best option. You can install it in areas that are below-grade. The material that makes the cork floor is a veneer cork that has a locking system to facilitate easy installation. Cork is very comfortable, does not rot, and is durable finding use mostly in bars and lower-level kitchens. Cork floor basements are convenient for toy rooms and craft with space. Cork is a superb choice if you have children who like playing on the ground since it is soft in nature.

Carpet Squares

If you want a basement floor that provides warmth and adds a level of soundproofing, then carpeting is the best choice. On the contrary, carpet is not a good choice in terms of moisture prevention. Therefore, you have to stack carpet squares over concrete so that in case there is an issue with water, you can remove the carpet square and mop the floor to prevent the growth of molds. Low-pile carpets are cheap and do not wear easily, unlike the shag-like carpeting. If you have serious moisture issues, you may consider using a pad that blocks moisture from leaking through the carpet to the concrete. Wall-to-wall carpet is one of the cheapest and easiest to install.

Vinyl

There are different types of vinyl materials for making the basement floors. Resilient vinyl flooring is maintenance-free, moisture-proof, and durable. Sheet vinyl can eliminate seams. If you want to install the tiles by yourself then, you should consider self-sticking vinyl tiles. Vinyl floors come in all sorts of styles and colors. Thicker vinyl is very expensive but of high quality and can have a textured surface or real stone or wood appearance. You can install vinyl over a concrete slab quickly, but you have to ensure the surface is very smooth. Imperfections exhibit themselves a lot and can potentially damage your floor.

Tile Innovations

If you like mixing your floor with different materials, then porcelain tiles are the best alternative. Mixing of the floor is in terms of functions and usage. The finished porcelain tiles resemble natural stone or wood planks. Ceramic tiles are an excellent designer choice because they are available in different colors and styles. If you properly install and maintain your ceramic tiles, they should last for many years.

Stained Concrete Floors

It remains one of the cheapest and simplest options to finish a basement concrete slab by staining it. If the concrete slab is porous and unsealed, a colored stain will penetrate very well and preserve its color for many years. An epoxy coating system is tougher than a concrete stain as it blends decorative color chip with a solvent-based adhesive layer. You can cover the concrete slab with a pigmented additional thin layer of concrete. The color will never wear away because the tone spreads throughout the coating.

In conclusion, the best type of basement flooring depends on your preferences and cost. Whichever material you decide to use, you should ensure it is worthwhile and will last as long as your house.

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