Installing Floors In Basements

When it comes to choosing basement flooring there s good news.

Installing floors in basements.

Basement floors are notorious for becoming damp. This basic tutorial will help you evaluate your basement s challenges and weigh each material s pros and. Basement flooring 101 a surprising number of materials are suitable for basement flooring. Use option a to keep your floor dry if you have damp floors.

Concrete is the safest basement flooring. Sadly moisture will ruin a floor unless necessary precautions are taken. Exceptions are solid hardwood flooring and laminate flooring made. With all of that in mind inexpensive flooring choices will have to be those materials that can be installed right on a concrete slab or the concrete itself might be the flooring.

Even in the event of something as catastrophic as a water heater flooding the entire basement these floors would dry out to their original condition. Most properly installed types of flooring can stand up to damp conditions and high humidity. Second to that would be ceramic or porcelain tile sheet vinyl flooring or plank luxury vinyl tile. Install dimpled polyethylene to create an air space between the concrete and the finished floor sealing off dampness and giving moisture a chance to dissipate.

Installing solid hardwood flooring in a basement that is below grade generally voids the warranty so if you really want the look of hardwood there choose engineered over solid planks. Almost any kind of flooring is okay to install in a below grade basement. Prevent damp basement floors from ruining carpet and other finished flooring. If your basement floors are concrete or they have become uneven it s time to contact a local basement.

Since basements floors are below ground and usually rest atop a concrete slab moisture is a primary concern. While you can t install solid hardwood floors in the basement or below grade you can install engineered hardwood floors. If you do take those precautions you may end up installing multiple flooring options and spending thousands of dollars.