Whether you’re finishing a barebones basement or renovating a finished but outdated space, always start with the flooring. Not only does it play a major role in the overall aesthetic of your space, but it also has a significant impact on durability and functionality.
A lot depends on how you’ll use the space.
Is it a fully-functional family room or rec room? A home office? A work area for hobbies and home projects? Many homeowners also create an extra bedroom or guestroom in the basement, which means a flooring choice that could be very different from a neighbouring laundry room or workshop.
Things to Consider When Picking Basement Flooring
Regardless of how you plan on using your basement, you simply cannot take the same approach to basement flooring as you do with other areas of your home.
Moisture
Finishing your basement is a challenge that can be summed up in one word — moisture. The best basement flooring options are ones that are capable of handling damp conditions.
The below-grade location of basements make them finicky spaces that have moisture issues that you simply don’t see above ground. Moisture can suddenly and inexplicably appear in a basement that’s been dry for years. Water can come in through walls due to over-saturated soil around the exterior, or up through the cement slab if the water table gets too high.
But that’s not all.
Condensation will form in basements if warm humid outside air can enter and make its way to your basement. If the humid air is allowed to approach the cooler concrete, the air will cool and release moisture in the form of condensation. Before you know it, you’ll smell that musty basement odour which is the calling card for mould and mildew growth.
We’ll talk more about the consequences of moisture buildup below.
Purpose
Your basement’s purpose (or purposes) will be a major consideration for choosing the right flooring. A resilient waterproof tile might be the perfect choice for a laundry room, but you likely wouldn’t want it for your child’s play area. It might not be ideal for a basement office and it isn’t exactly the warmest option for a guestroom.
Durability
The durability of your basement floor depends on what’s happening both on top and underneath your flooring.
Will the flooring type you want be a suitable material for the activity and wear it could face on top? Will there be high foot traffic? Is there a high likelihood of dropped toys or tools? Maybe you have a home gym? Additionally, is it a suitable material that will resist rot and mould if it’s exposed to moisture underneath?
Comfort and Warmth
There’s a trade-off between durability and comfort when choosing flooring for your basement. The most durable, water-proof and practical material might not be the most comfortable or warmest option.
Foundations and basement floors can be cold and uncomfortable without underfloor heating, but not every type of flooring works well over a radiant heating system. Be sure to check the specific product requirements to see if that flooring is a suitable option for radiant heat.
Flooring Budget
Of course, your budget is a primary consideration. Hardwood is beautiful but it’s also expensive and not a recommended basement flooring option. Vinyl and laminate are far more affordable, but the cheaper, big-box store options won’t be as durable. Your expenses also don’t stop with the material you choose. The cost of installing your flooring material also has to be included.
Are you planning on installing your new floor yourself or going with a professional installation? Doing it yourself might seem like a more affordable option, but depending on your experience with the material, you risk having an unprofessional looking installation despite your significant investment of time and effort. If you have to tear out and replace materials that weren’t installed correctly or buy tools you don’t have on hand, your cost-saving DIY can quickly turn into an expensive mistake.
Fix the Concrete
A small basement leak can lead to a big disaster.
Your first step should be waterproofing your basement before any flooring is installed. Are there any cracks in the basement floor? Is there any displacement where a section of floor has cracked and shifted up or down? Small foundation leaks can develop into large cracks — which is a whole bigger problem. Water seepage through the cement floor can lead to mould, mildew, rot and bugs.
Assessing and repairing your basement will add to your costs, but is highly recommended. At the very least, have an experienced professional conduct an assessment before you install anything. The last thing you want is for your new flooring to be damaged — possibly beyond repair — by something that could have been avoided.
Rough surfaces and undulations in the floor should also be addressed before installing new basement flooring. Rough and uneven surfaces can make the subfloor tiles wobble, making for a noisy and spongy finished floor. A great solution for this is using a self-levelling compound — a powder mixed with water into a very thin cement — that’s poured onto low spots of the floor and seeks its own level before hardening.
Basement Subflooring
For decades, it was acceptable for finished floors to be installed directly on basement cement floors in the same way it might be installed in spaces above ground. You may have seen this — and smelled the mustiness — in the rec rooms of your parents’ or grandparents’ homes. We know today that the single most common source of mould and mildew is the absence of subflooring and moisture barriers.
Certain flooring materials can indeed be installed directly over a basement’s concrete floor, such as tile and rubber flooring. Direct installation, however, will result in a floor that’s cold underfoot.
A basement subfloor is a layer of material between the finished floor and the basement cement floor underneath. It provides a buffer from moisture that may enter below and creates a flat, insulated surface for the finished floor to be installed upon, to ensure more warmth underfoot. The tiny amount of air space underneath a proper subfloor provides an incredible amount of protection in the event of a leak or flood — the subfloor should adequately dry out and prevent mould or mildew.
A typical subfloor might consist of two-by-fours spaced 12-16 inches apart, topped with plywood sheeting (with rigid foam insulation placed between the two-by-fours) and 10-15 mil plastic sheeting installed as a vapour barrier between the subfloor and the cement.
There are also subfloor systems that eliminate the multi-layer approach mentioned above. A subfloor system combines all the layers into tiles that attach to each other, much like tongue-and-groove flooring, to create a substrate surface for your finished flooring.
So remember, with a few exceptions, installing your finished floor on concrete without an adequate subfloor is a big mistake.
Basement Flooring Options and Materials
Even if you’ve waterproofed and floodproofed your basement and installed an adequate vapour barrier and subfloor, the most important factor for your new floor should still be water resistance. Your basement is still prone to spills and flooding. A burst pipe, overflowing washing machine, or a “1-in-100-year” storm or flood could mean tearing out and throwing away all your flooring if you chose the wrong materials.
Vinyl Flooring
One of the best options for your basement floor is vinyl flooring. It’s a durable, cost-effective material that stands up to moisture really well. Properly maintained vinyl flooring can last up to 25 years and has a good balance of firmness and give that makes it comfortable underfoot.
Today’s vinyl flooring isn’t like the old linoleum of the past. It’s a versatile material that comes in a wide range of attractive, high quality finishes to suit your style.
Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) hits the sweet spot between beauty, durability and price. It mimics the look of hardwood and is available in a variety of wood-like colours, styles and textures, many of which are amazingly realistic. Most options come with slight variations in the planks, so your floor has the natural-looking diversity of real hardwood. LVP is also easier, and therefore less expensive, to install than hardwood.
Luxury vinyl tile (LVT) can mimic the semi-translucent appearance of marble, the foliated texture of slate, or look like porcelain or ceramic tile in solid colours, subtle variations and bold patterns. While it’s highly durable, it’s also softer and more comfortable to walk on and warmer to the touch than tile or stone. If you want to install LVT on a cement floor, however, you may want to consider an LVT-compatible subfloor heating system.
We recommend you install vinyl flooring over a backing that won’t trap moisture that allows your concrete floor to dry out and breathe. Plus, vinyl is a floating floor, meaning it isn’t attached to the sub-floor and can easily be removed and replaced if needed.
Ceramic or Porcelain Tile for Basement
Many basements get water in them from time to time — it can happen in any home. If water makes the occasional appearance in your basement, then ceramic or porcelain tile might be the best option for you. Tile can typically be installed directly onto a concrete slab and dries out easily should any water creep in. It isn’t the warmest choice for flooring, but radiant heating can be added under the tile to warm the flooring surface and make it more comfortable underfoot.
Wondering what the difference is between ceramic and porcelain tile? Both are made of clay and kiln fired, but porcelain tiles are fired at higher temperatures for a longer period of time, making them more durable, water-resistant and longer-lasting. Porcelain is so strong, however, that special tools are required to cut it. It can be worthwhile to choose a professional for your tile flooring installation.
Because it doesn’t absorb odours, mould, or bacteria, ceramic tile is an excellent option for your basement floor. Ceramic tile is highly resistant to water and humidity, and is ideal for anywhere in your home where floors can get wet. It’s also extremely durable, and when installed properly can last for several decades. Most tile floors just require a sweep or vacuum and occasional mopping. As long as the grout is sealed properly, it can be periodically freshened up.
Tile should not be installed on a plywood subfloor. The flexible nature of wood as it expands and contracts will eventually lead to cracks in the flooring. Tile doesn’t require a special subfloor, but the existing cement floor must be level and clean before you install it.
Hardwood & Laminate Flooring for Basements
People love their hardwood floors, and we love installing hardwood in homes. It has a timeless beauty that’s durable and versatile. But it just isn’t a recommended flooring choice for your basement.
We know that even the driest basements can be a humid and water prone environment. Any space that’s below grade is always at risk of flooding, which will ruin a wood floor. Even without flooding, a leak or build up of condensation will cause hardwood to twist and warp. With so many other water-proof basement flooring options, installing and replacing a hardwood floor can be a costly mistake.
While laminate is a cost-effective and low-maintenance flooring material that can mimic the look of real hardwood, it also isn’t recommended for your basement. Laminate might do a bit better than hardwood when water pools on top, but the bottom layer of the laminate just isn’t made to hold up to water. Laminate flooring is a terrific option in other areas of your home, but just isn’t a recommended choice in your basement.
If you’re really aiming for a finished basement with all the look and feel of real wood flooring, some types of engineered hardwood flooring can work. Engineered hardwood is less susceptible to damage from humidity fluctuations, and is more water resistant. Any prolonged water contact, however, will probably damage this flooring option.
Engineered hardwood is considered a material that can be installed over concrete, tile or vinyl, radiant heat, or as a floating floor. Although some engineered wood flooring can go down over a concrete floor, it’s still better to install this type of flooring over a subfloor. Engineered hardwood fits together with a click-and-lock method, resulting in a floor that floats upon the sub-floor rather than being nailed to it.
Ready to get started?
What’s the best flooring for your basement?
Remember, there are issues to consider with basement flooring that are different from any other area of your home.
Carpet can be a warm, appealing option, but it too isn’t the best material for below grade. You can achieve a similar look, feel and warmth with durable, water-proof flooring that’s covered by large area rugs. Rugs require no special installation and can be easily swapped out whenever you want.
Homeowners often become unhappy with their basement flooring because the material’s capability ultimately cannot match the homeowner’s expectations. Many homeowners have their heart set on real hardwood throughout their home.
While installing a beautiful, high-end hardwood floor in your basement might be your dream, it simply isn’t the best choice.
There are many other durable basement flooring options that can add incredible beauty and real value to your home, and create a space you and your family can enjoy for years to come.
Our Flooring Experts are Here to Help
Xpression flooring experts can guide you from start to finish, to find the perfect basement floor to make a livable and comfortable space for you and your family for years to come.
We can also help with flooring installation.
Simply drop by our showroom or give us a call for a quote at 613-688-2080.
