The basement and its renovations come with several concerns about finishes for flooring. Issues like dampness and moisture are notorious for stimulating mold and mildew growth.
Luckily, there are several flooring options you can use for your basement that specifically addresses these concerns. Below are some of the best types of flooring for your basement renovation that you can install.
Basement Floor Tiles with a Vapor Barrier
This type of basement flooring is unique and dynamic. It is expertly designed with built-in vapor barriers that effectively address most, if not all of the issues commonly affecting basements. Tiles with vapor barriers come in many different varieties – from carpet tiles to those that resemble different natural stones.
Floor tiles with vapor barriers usually have molded plastic bases that tilt the tiles a little over the concrete slab, creating a breathable space in between. With this type of basement flooring, you can be assured that mold and bacteria will have a hard time growing in your basement.
They’re also modular and interlocking, making them easy to install and disassemble. Also, because they are raised, they work well for slightly uneven floors. You can cut and trim the tile to fit into areas of your basement where a complete tile won’t fit. A jigsaw with a fine-tooth blade should do the trick. It’s an excellent, pocket-friendly option for the health-conscious homeowner.
Floating Floors
This basement flooring option represents any floor that is neither nailed nor glued to the subfloor. They’re usually placed on the surface allowing you to install a moisture barrier between the basement slab and the floating floor.
Floating floors come in many varieties, but not all of them are suitable for flooring your basement. Some interesting options include:
- Carpet Tiles
- Cork flooring
- Engineered hardwood flooring
- Laminate
- Sheet vinyl
- Luxury vinyl tiles and planks
When installing floating floors in your basement, go for those that are waterproof or highly water-resistant. As for the cork, vinyl, and engineered hardwood flooring, endeavor to seal them correctly after installation.
Cork flooring is made up of soft materials and can retain moisture. After installing one, ensure that you toughen up your floor and protect it by sealing it. For engineered hardwoods, laminate, and luxury vinyl flooring, a good polyurethane seal will provide maximum protection.
Carpet tiles are ideal if you want to turn a section of your basement into a playroom or bedroom. They have a softer surface and are made up of low-pile and water-resistant materials such as nylon or polyester.
Ceramic Floor Tiles
Ceramic tiles are highly durable and water resistant. They provide superior protection to your basement floor, and they come in many different varieties and colors. They are impenetrable against water and do not give in to mold or mildew.
Your grout, however, can be vulnerable to mold but you can prevent this by regularly treating your grout with a water barrier sealant at least once a year.
Epoxy Sealed Concrete
You can always count on an epoxy sealant over your concrete floor. They’re low maintenance, inexpensive, and easy to install. They also come in many different colors and patterns, they’re highly resistant to germs and bacteria and only require regular sweeping and periodic wet mopping to keep it clean.
Epoxy sealed concrete is water resistant and not affected by water damage. The floor stays hard and cold after installation, and you can easily install another type of flooring over the epoxy. Installing epoxy, however, can be hard work, plus it produces a strong ammonia smell, but it fades away once the epoxy has dried.
