Matching your basement flooring to your lifestyle
Your basement might be a cozy space where the family can gather and get a little noisy without disturbing the rest of the house. Or it may act as a large utility space, housing your washer and dryer and even a workbench for crafting or performing the usual small home repairs. And if you’re like many homeowners, your basement will likely pull double duty, sometimes as a space to relax and sometimes as a space to get dirty work done. You’ll want your basement floors to match these needs in style, comfort, and durability.
Pure Utility: The unfinished basement
Some basements stay unfinished because they flood during heavy rains, others because they simply aren’t needed for much more than storing off-season holiday decorations. In either of these cases, the typical bare concrete basement floor does the job, and you might not feel the need to make any improvements. But if you did want a small upgrade, whether to boost comfort a bit or simply to make the space feel a little more civilized, sheet vinyl would be an excellent choice. Typically the most affordable type of flooring for a large space like a basement, sheet vinyl comes in a range of styles, resists wear and water, and is easy to care for. Plus, its flexible sheets can conform to uneven basement floors that would be too rough for a rigid material like tile.
The lightly-finished basement
The “sort of finished” basement is a common phenomenon in modern homes. These types of basements will often be outfitted for casual entertaining but still lack the refinements you’d expect elsewhere in a home. Maybe the pool table and loud home theater system are down there, but the ceiling and walls are unfinished. Or only half the space is built out because the other half gets water seepage during heavy storms and is only used for storage. The best flooring for basements like these will add some style and improve overall comfort—while staying on budget and not requiring any complicated maintenance. Consider vinyl tile or vinyl plank for your partially finished basement.
Flooring for a fully finished basement
For the sake of this article, we will assume that your fully finished basement—or the basement that you’d like to renovate to that state—does not experience any amount of flooding or seepage. If that’s the case, then there are very few restrictions on what type of flooring you can use. Many homeowners opt for carpet in the basement, since it adds a significant boost in comfort and can help make the entire space feel warmer. It’s a good idea to consider a stain-resistant carpet if your basement will see lots of entertaining.
The only flooring to avoid in a basement is solid hardwood. This is because even though your basement may never flood, sub-surface spaces almost always experience higher levels of humidity than on the main or upper floors of a home. Over time, this elevated moisture can cause the wood to warp or buckle, ruining your floors. The good news is that Empire offers a variety of engineered hardwood or wood laminate flooring that is approved for below-grade applications like a basement. Many can even be installed directly onto concrete, saving the time and money of needing a subfloor upgrade.
Basement Flooring Budget
Many variables go into selecting the best flooring for basements—perhaps more than anywhere else in the home. As a result, a basement flooring budget can be harder to speak about in general terms. A simple sheet vinyl floor will, of course, be more affordable than a wood laminate one.
Basement floors can also require additional work that will add to the cost. One common source of added expense is the need for a subfloor, which will depend on a variety of factors. Although many flooring products can be installed directly onto concrete, that often only works in ideal situations. Your basement floor will likely need a vapor barrier, and those will vary in cost and complication depending on the flooring you choose. An uneven concrete floor will need to be leveled if you want to have laminate or tile safely installed.
Even with a perfectly level concrete floor, you may want to have a subfloor or other type of underlayment installed to increase comfort. Berber carpet can be installed directly onto concrete, for instance. But it will feel much softer and warmer underfoot with high-quality padding underneath. The same can go for underlayment installed beneath vinyl floors.
This wide set of variables is one of the reasons why it’s so important to consult a flooring professional when having basement flooring installed. During your in-home estimate, your consultant can address these variables with you and be able to give you a better idea of potential costs while you’re in the decision-making process.
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