Flooring for Finished basement

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broadbill

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Hi Everyone;

I'm interested in hearing from those of you who have finished their basements and what flooring you went with (and why).

We are currently in the the process of finishing part of our basement as a multipurpose room w/bathroom. Now it will be a playroom for kids, TV room for us, and pull out couch for visitors. Maybe a bar going in at some point:ban:...

Anyway, its a nice poured concrete foundation with no water problems. Contractor is recommending a vinyl plank flooring system w/ wood finish (think Basement Finishing Systems product) in case any water problems every arise. It is totally waterproof and also pricey.

Another option we are exploring is Pergo laminate flooring going in over a Dri-core subfloor. Dri-core is a particle board product that has a plastic layer on one side that goes down onto the concrete. Dri-core panels lock together to form a subfloor.

Any thoughts? We are looking for something that works well in a relatively dry basement but is somewhat moisture resistant (condensation/humidity in the summer can be a problem that hopefully a dehumidifier will fix). Comfort (insulated from cold concrete) and looks/price are also issues (obviously!).

Thanks!
 
Bill-


If you have no water problems as you say, why not carpet? Better for the kids to play on. Also, wood/laminate wood are going to be almost as hard and cold as concrete unless you put infloor heat in.


Good Luck!
 
You really are not supposed to use hardwood below grade but just about anything else would be fine. I am going with carpet when I do mine but tile around the bar.
 
My basement has carpet and pergo. I like the carpet, the pergo flooring dents easier than a real hardwood floor. If I re-do it I'd probably just do everything in carpet with a really thick/nice carpet pad. My friend just did his basement and the carpet and padding make it really nice to walk on/play on.
 
We have a walk-out style basement (front of house it partially underground and rear of house is at ground level) that was carpetted when we bought it. We tore it out and tiled it.

If you do flood the laminate will probably warp all the hell and have to be completely torn up and tossed. No need for that waste of time and money with tile. Also, if a tile breaks all you do is remove the grout around it and hit it with a hammer to break it up, scrape the mortar out and insert a new tile. Too easy. ;)
 
my basement has carpet with no padding - which is a blessing. I have had a few water problems and with a plain carpet, clean up is fairly easy. If there was a padding, we'd have to tear it all up and replace everything. The pergo flooring is nice, but if you have water problems at all, then the flooring will be instantly ruined.
 
I used laminate flooring its been down there a few years with dogs, kids and a lot of parties looks like it did when I put it down . I used the thick foam under the laminate its fairly warm and with the wood stove we walk around barefoot in the winter.

This is a recent pic
bar_couch1.jpg

not a great pic of the floor but you get the idea
 
I also went with laminate. It is beautiful and it takes a beating. No scratches from doggy claws (big advantage over hardwood for me) and my buddy who was helping me took a scrap piece of laminate and put a cigarette out on it and then just wiped it off. Not a spec of damage. It is very resilient stuff. However, should you ever have water damage, I would imagine the laminate would warp. If that is something you are concerned with, tile or painting the concrete are your only options. Carpet or hardwood would require a tear out too. If that is not something you are overly concerned with, I would go with laminate. Looks awesome, it's really cheap, even for good product, and it couldn't possibly be easier to lay down. My floors are never cold. Certainly warmer than tile.

floors.jpg
 
I went with laminate in the den area downstairs and carpet for the office. We went with carpet because it was cheap and it was just an office. We went with laminate because we were wanting darker laminate upstairs. So we redid the upstairs laminate and used the old stuff downstairs.
 
Thanks to everyone's input...as expected, it seems like the consensus is that there is no consensus! However, that pretty much follows with everything else I've read about basement flooring...everyone has their own ideas.

I like the idea of carpeting for its warmth and it is amenable to the kiddies, but I've also read that condensation/humidity in the basement will ultimately ruin it, if a flood doesn't. Do you guys have a subfloor down that the carpet went on top of, or did it go right over the concrete?

For the laminate floor folks, I've read that its pretty good stuff but toast if water ever gets down there. So that is something to consider. I imagine the same goes for hardwood (probably why its not rated for below grade applications).

Lastly, nobody has any experience with the vinyl plank flooring? If you haven't seen it, imagine something like laminate, but made out of plastic instead of wood. The plastic part is actually a hard vinyl base, similar in thickness to laminate or hardwood. It is the type of flooring those "Basement Finishing Systems" folks use...called Millcreek Flooring. Worries me that nobody has actually used it. hmmmm.

Thanks for the info!
 
Thanks to everyone's input...as expected, it seems like the consensus is that there is no consensus! However, that pretty much follows with everything else I've read about basement flooring...everyone has their own ideas.

I like the idea of carpeting for its warmth and it is amenable to the kiddies, but I've also read that condensation/humidity in the basement will ultimately ruin it, if a flood doesn't. Do you guys have a subfloor down that the carpet went on top of, or did it go right over the concrete?

For the laminate floor folks, I've read that its pretty good stuff but toast if water ever gets down there. So that is something to consider. I imagine the same goes for hardwood (probably why its not rated for below grade applications).

Lastly, nobody has any experience with the vinyl plank flooring? If you haven't seen it, imagine something like laminate, but made out of plastic instead of wood. The plastic part is actually a hard vinyl base, similar in thickness to laminate or hardwood. It is the type of flooring those "Basement Finishing Systems" folks use...called Millcreek Flooring. Worries me that nobody has actually used it. hmmmm.

Thanks for the info!

I have supervised installation of VP flooring in 85 hotel room entries. Went down easy, was easy to replace.

Felt horrible underfoot. But was utilitarian in it's intent so, it worked.

If it were me in your position. I'd stain the concrete myself and get some nice thick rugs.
 
Thanks to everyone's input...as expected, it seems like the consensus is that there is no consensus! However, that pretty much follows with everything else I've read about basement flooring...everyone has their own ideas.

I like the idea of carpeting for its warmth and it is amenable to the kiddies, but I've also read that condensation/humidity in the basement will ultimately ruin it, if a flood doesn't. Do you guys have a subfloor down that the carpet went on top of, or did it go right over the concrete?

For the laminate floor folks, I've read that its pretty good stuff but toast if water ever gets down there. So that is something to consider. I imagine the same goes for hardwood (probably why its not rated for below grade applications).

Lastly, nobody has any experience with the vinyl plank flooring? If you haven't seen it, imagine something like laminate, but made out of plastic instead of wood. The plastic part is actually a hard vinyl base, similar in thickness to laminate or hardwood. It is the type of flooring those "Basement Finishing Systems" folks use...called Millcreek Flooring. Worries me that nobody has actually used it. hmmmm.

Thanks for the info!

For carpet, they put some sort of black plastic moisture barrier under it and regular carpet padding. We've had it for 6 years now with no condensation or humidity issues but it looks like we live in different parts of the country so YMMV.
 
Mine has gotten wet from a defective(old) water heater didn't do anything to the floor . I had pieces sitting outside for weeks while I was doing the job never flinched. I bought it at Sam's club don't remember the company but it was inexpensive like 1.99 a SQFT

The drywall that another story that's why there is wainscot on the walls. I had to go up about 3 feet I replaced it with that new DensArmor mold proof drywall . Didn't have the time to tape happened 2 days before our New years eve party.

I don't care what the water restoration people say once a carpet gets wet its ruined.
 
i like the nature stone product, or just a two part epoxy, battle ship grey. put throw rugs down to keep the chill off the kiddies. my general rule is the basement eventually will get water in it, so keep it simple, ie the stone or epoxy.
 
I highly recommend http://www.deltafl.com/. It is an HDPE dimpled material over which you can install a subfloor and then tile, carpet, wood, or whatever. The product creates an airspace under the floor to allow circulation, drying, and natural insulation. It also creates a surface that "gives," making it much more comfortable than anything directly on a slab. The only drawback is that you lose a bit of ceiling height, but for me, it was more than worth it.
 
My wife and I are in the process of replacing our carpet and flooring in the kitchen to laminate wood style due to the kiddies. We find that my young daughters (soon to be 3 and soon to be 5) like spilling things on carpet that just stain.. you name it they spill it. Laminate is easier to clean up and throw rugs and rugs in general are easier to clean/replace than carpet.

My old house I had with a basement I finished the basement up before I rented it off with carpet for a quick and simple investment to increase property value. But I know if I kept the house to live in I would of done pergo or hardwood if I planned to stay... but I also didn't have kids then either soooooo I might of changed my opinion having what I have now :)
 
Hey there,
i am a flooring contractor, put down all kinds of finishes.. if uyou would like technical thoughts/recommmendations etc shoot me a PM

I have not heard of the types you referenced to, but from experience, expect moisture (flood/leak etc) sometime, so keeping that in mind and insurance-wise pick sometingin

fred
 
Take a look at acid staining. I almost did this, but went with carpet instead. My main reason was the COLD floors.

http://www.wikihow.com/Acid-Stain-Concrete

+1 I went with acid stained concrete and I'm VERY happy with how it turned out:

Here are some pics right after applying the wax:
basementfloor4-10-09001.jpg


basementfloor4-10-09002.jpg


basementfloor4-10-09007.jpg


Here it is after a bit of use (the streakmarks are from a mop):
basement4-25-09003.jpg


It's very simple to do compared to hardwood and laminate (I've done both before), and it's cheaper. The end product is something that looks unique and is impervious to water damage.

If you would like some information about the company that I ordered my stain from, shoot me a PM and I'd be happy to pass contact info along.
 
I have carpet in my basement. I put down some tile in the bathroom though. I really don't like carpet in bathrooms. It works great, keeps the basement a little warmer. If you don't have water problems, I would suggest you go with carpet. Also, if you have a sump pump, I would suggest a battery backup system. It is pretty cheap insurance if you would loose power during a rain storm.
 
Hi again everyone,

Again, thanks for all of the recommendations....I appreciate the feedback.

Re: ceramic tiles: @homebrewer 99....didn't mean to ignore your suggestion last time...sorry about that!:eek:

I agree that would be a good solution, although I do worry about kids cracking their heads on the tile. Of course, I don't think any sort of wood vinyl product is any softer! Regardless, you'd be throwing carpets on most of these flooring. I'll keep it in mind.

Re: Stained concrete...also an option I didn't think about, but some of the same concerns with tile. Price is definitely right and we can do it ourselves. The downside is that you can't put an insulation layer down and you are basically on concrete....

Re: Deltafloor...thanks for this recc. Similar to the dricore panels, but it looks totally waterproof (Dricore is made partially out of OSB). The Deltafloor is also thinner although it does add some thickness to the floor (only 5/16" compared to the Dricore 7/8")

Re: carpeting...this is a tough one. It seems that alot of people it successfully, but if you get water, I agree that it could never truly dry out and be fine again. If anything, I'd go really cheap with the carpeting and expect to replace it sometime down the line.

Re: laminate...also used alot and its good to hear alot of people like it.

Re: Vinyl planking...glad to hear someone has experience with it (Gila), and actually one of my main concerns was how utilitarian it seemed. I worry that is would give the space a industrial feel instead of an comfortable feel. If its going to be industrial, then I may save myself the cash and do some sore of concrete painting/staining (the stuff is stupid expensive). Also, it worries me that the flooring professional hadn't heard of it, or that more people haven't used it. Frankly, just looking at it I would think it would be a natural choice for a basement...I don't get why it isn't a standard in the industry!

Again, thanks again to everyone's input!
 
Seem slots of people have used laminate in the basement, but I'd be very careful. Even if you don't have a real water problem, some laminates will warp with just some moisture seepage. I've installed some cheap laminate in my computer room, which is not a basement, and only a little water has spilled, but I can see the effects in certain areas. In the kitchen, right under the dog's water dish 9used to be) the laminate has spearated at the seem, and that was coated on both sides, and glued with waterproof glue.

There is some good stuff out there now, but also some very cheap and easily ruined stuff too. Be careful.
 
Seem slots of people have used laminate in the basement, but I'd be very careful. Even if you don't have a real water problem, some laminates will warp with just some moisture seepage. I've installed some cheap laminate in my computer room, which is not a basement, and only a little water has spilled, but I can see the effects in certain areas. In the kitchen, right under the dog's water dish 9used to be) the laminate has spearated at the seem, and that was coated on both sides, and glued with waterproof glue.

There is some good stuff out there now, but also some very cheap and easily ruined stuff too. Be careful.

true the stuff I bought stated water resistant and can be used in bathrooms,kitchens and basements. The backing was like a masonite type of material very shiny like it was sealed and hard as a rock.

I put some down at my sisters house and the backing looked like pressboard and would flake all over and crumple if not handled correctly. I didn't care for it at all was some off brand they picked up.
 
At the moment I am busy doing carpet floor at my neighbour's house. I will share the pics once I am done with it. My neighbour asked me for the suggestion and as they have no water problem, I suggested carpet.
 
At the moment I am busy doing carpet floor at my neighbour's house. I will share the pics once I am done with it. My neighbour asked me for the suggestion and as they have no water problem, I suggested carpet.


are you laying down a sub-floor first? My impression is that although he may not have water problems, the concrete stays cold enough to cause condensation problems. For that reason, they recommend laying down a subfloor.

We finished our basement project (I started this thread) and we ended up laying down Delta-FL underlayment and Pergo flooring. We are really happy with the Delta-FL stuff and you can also use it for carpet. I believe the method they recommend with carpet is to lay out the Delta-FL, followed by plywood subfloor and use Tap-cons to anchor both to the concrete.

We ended up laying down Delta-FL and put the Pergo right on top. It worked well, but we do notice a hallow tapping sound when you walk across portion of the floor. We think its because of some minute buckling of the Pergo or waves in the Delta FL that compress when you walk across it. Nothing substantial, I wouldn't change anything for what we paid. OTOH, If money were no object, I might have put a plywood subfloor on top of the Delta-FL.

Hope this helps...thanks again to everyone for their advice!
 
Re: ceramic tiles: @homebrewer 99....didn't mean to ignore your suggestion last time...sorry about that!:eek:

No problem. Sure the tile floor can/does get cold in IL winters, but that's what area and throw rugs are for.

It would be a little different if we had young ones crawling around...then I would have put the heating elements under it. ;)
 
Also, if you have a sump pump, I would suggest a battery backup system. It is pretty cheap insurance if you would loose power during a rain storm.


If you're finishing your basement you may also have a sewage pit to consider if you have anything other than your bathroom flowing into it (which you can generally avoid using during an outage)

Also, there are battery-free sump back-ups out there that work off water pressure from your water supply. Holy cow does that save a lot of time and money if you have to replace any parts of the battery backup (and the batteries need to be replaced every 2 years or so).

http://www.zoellerpumps.com/ProductBenefit.aspx?ProductID=65
 
Here in North Carolina I don't have a basement. However, when I lived in Chicago I did. I went one step past a sub floor. I laid down pressure treated 2x4's's every 12 inches on center. On top of that I laid down a sub floor and then a combination of tile and carpet with padding. I used the carpeting in the kids play area and the tile in the bar and pool room. Using the 2x4's kept the floor warmer during the winter. I also had 8 1/2' ceilings before I finished the basement.
 
If you're finishing your basement you may also have a sewage pit to consider if you have anything other than your bathroom flowing into it (which you can generally avoid using during an outage)

Also, there are battery-free sump back-ups out there that work off water pressure from your water supply. Holy cow does that save a lot of time and money if you have to replace any parts of the battery backup (and the batteries need to be replaced every 2 years or so).

http://www.zoellerpumps.com/ProductBenefit.aspx?ProductID=65

I had a similar one when I lived in the Chicago area. You have to be on city water for it to work. If you are on a private well, the well pump shuts off when the power goes out and you won't have water pressure to run the back up.
 

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