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ASK TOM

Basement Flooring
By Tom Mrakas

This week I received an email from readers on basement flooring.

They are renovating and wanted to know what type of flooring would be best.

There are many different types of flooring possibilities - laminate flooring, engineered hardwood, tile and carpet to name the most common – and there are pluses and minuses to each.

Carpeting is the most common. It is always a good choice as its under-pad will act as a good insulator from the cold concrete floor underneath. It is comfortable and soft and keeps you warm – all good things in a basement. This, of course, presupposes you have a dry basement. Carpeting is obviously not a good choice if you have a basement that is prone to water leakage or flooding!

Laminate and engineered flooring are very beautiful and look great in a basement.

The material and installation is more expensive than carpet but usually cheaper than using a ceramic tile. Laminate is relatively easy to install as it has an under-pad and is “clicked” together and left as a floating floor (that is, it sits on top of the floor; it isn't glued or in any way permanently affixed).

The engineered hardwood can also be installed floating or it can be glued straight to the concrete. If you choose to install a good sub floor first then you can nail the engineered wood flooring to it as you would any other hardwood flooring.

It too will keep some warmth, though not as much as carpet but much more than tile.

Ceramic tiles, however, are the most durable choice for your floor. They are long lasting, easy to clean and damage resistant. If a tile does crack or break, you can simply take the one tile out and replace it.

If your basement is prone to flooding, tiles aren't a problem. Just mop it up and you're done. The only drawback is it is also the coldest type of flooring. Even with area rugs, ceramic floors are very cold in a basement.

If you are looking for warmth and keeping costs down, then carpet is your best bet, but if you are looking for great looks and still some warmth, then I would suggest an engineered hardwood as it will give a lovely elegant look to your basement while still maintaining some warmth.
If you are looking for something that will be durable and last a very long time in a basement - even if it happens to flood! – then ceramic tile is what you need.

My personal preference is to use engineered wood. I like the look of the wood and the fact that it is still a fairly “warm” flooring. I am not a fan of ceramic tiles, simply because I find them too cold. Again, this is just personal preference. Tiles are a great choice in a basement, especially if it gets a lot of traffic.

Before you consider any type of flooring – make sure your basement is dry. Inspect it for leaks or evidence of water damage. If you are worried about flooding or suspect you have water damage or leaks in your basement, then get the problems fixed before you even think of flooring! You'd hate to have to rip it all out after you find a leak!

Until next week, remember a good job, is a job well done! Also if you have any questions you can reach me at www.facebook.com/anastasisdesign or on twitter, @ADesign_build and email of course Anastasis@anastasisdesign.ca

Post date: 2013-05-14 18:01:48
Post date GMT: 2013-05-14 22:01:48
Post modified date: 2013-05-21 15:49:30
Post modified date GMT: 2013-05-21 19:49:30