What is the best flooring for my basement

For those of us who are fortunate to have a basement, choosing the perfect flooring to turn that valuable space into your ideal living space can be a bit overwhelming. Some of typical uses for theses areas may be for recreation, crafts, workout, pets or a workshop. Whatever you choose, having the right kind of flooring is crucial.

During your planning and transformation from basement to WOW, there are better products than others based on environmental conditions and space usage. Your basement floor is probably made of concrete ? a material that is ?easy? to clean up and dry out. Small amounts of moisture pose their own sets of problems, but then again, during heavy rains, you might find your basement downright flooded! Either way, the floor must somehow be dried.

For the small amounts of moisture, consider carpet, carpet tile or luxury vinyls flooring. Since most basements are ?below grade?, which simply means it is below ground level. Moisture may seep in from the ground, and because moist, humid air is heavy, when it comes in contact with a cool surface, it will settle there. This will occur during warm and moist times of the year. If this problem is not corrected, mold and mildew will occur.

Today there are carpets with waterproof backings like, Anso Living with Life Guard back, as well as sealed padding both will allow long term warmth and comfort eliminating mold and mildew worries and frustration.

Before you install any flooring on top of the concrete, you must make sure the concrete is completely ready for this. Repair cracks or flaws with sealant made especially for concrete. Also, use a 3-foot or longer, bubble leveler to see if there are any slopes or low spots. If there are, apply a self-leveling compound to those spaces. Rent a concrete sander to level out the high spots.

Some other great finishing options over the concrete would be porcelain or standard vct tile. These are a type of flooring which would not be damaged by moisture or flooding. They would be applied directly onto the concrete floor, and come in many attractive colors and pattern choices!

If your preference is sheet vinyl flooring you can create a great vapor barrier with these up-to-date looks of wood and stones primarily. Alternate flooring chooses could include: engineered hardwood adds the benefits of wood along with ability to being resurfaced. As a value floor laminate flooring will be a tough finish in typiaclly traditional looks with rugged surfaces.

So, knowledge is power! Prepare your basement floor, and then choose the flooring that appeals to your artistic preference!