Basement Flooring Options

To determine if there is a vapor barrier placed underneath the basement floor, tape down a few small patches of clear plastic to your basement floor. Make sure the tape covers all edges of each small piece of plastic. A couple of days later take a careful look at the plastic. If you see moisture clinging to the plastic or dark spots on the basement floor directly underneath the plastic then most likely there is no vapor barrier underneath your concrete slab. And as such, your choices in basement flooring are limited, unless you are willing to either, (1) apply a waterproof sealer to the basement floor, or (2) install a network crib of 2x4s, insulation, and a plastic vapor barrier directly on top of the concrete slab, followed by a layer of moisture resistant plywood to cover the crib. You may also want to install a French drain around the perimeter of your home’s foundation however a backhoe will be required and it will probably cost you a few thousand dollars.

If your moisture test turned up negative, then you have a few additional basement flooring options that you can consider. Carpeting Carpeting is a frequent choice in finished basements, even though it may sound on the surface a bad idea. However, if the concrete slab has a moisture barrier underneath it, or you’ve installed one above it as described above, carpeting is a very viable choice. Also, carpet installers can install a cellulose underlayment directly on top of the concrete slab to act as a vapor barrier. Carpet offers the advantage of acting as somewhat of an insulator and thus is warm and comfortable feeling, as well as very durable.

It also acts somewhat as a noise damper, thus mitigating furnace and drain pipe noise. Berber carpeting appears to be the most popular type of carpeting installed in finished basements today.

Ceramic Tile Basement Flooring

Ceramic tile is a great choice for basement flooring. However, it can be cold on the feet. Ceramic tile is also sensitive to high moisture levels, which may seem somewhat surprising. High moisture levels can shorten tile life. Also, tiles need to be installed on a level surface which sometimes can be an issue when installing on a concrete basement slab. A self level compound may be required prior to installing ceramic tiles on the basement floor. In addition, any basement cracks should be properly sealed with a crack filler prior to installing the tiles.

Free Floating Engineered Flooring Engineered flooring is another common choice with homeowners in finished basements. Engineered flooring sits on a foam underlayment that helps to mitigate any unevenness in the concrete slab and to dampen room sounds when walking on it. Because the engineered flooring effectively floats on the foam underlayment it can expand and contract as moisture levels change in the basement. Engineered flooring is also perfect for basement flooring due to how it is manufactured. It is fabricated via multiple layers of wood materials sandwiched and compressed together.

This fabrication process helps to prevent the finished flooring product from warping or twisting. The top coat layer of the engineered flooring usually consists of a wood veneer that gives the flooring product a natural hardwood floor look. Engineered flooring can easily be installed by DIY homeowners.

Laminate Flooring

As is the case with engineered flooring, laminate flooring also floats on an underlayment. Laminate flooring is also manufactured similarly to engineered flooring. It consists of a core base, with a top layer of photographic resin. Since the top layer is a photographic image, laminate flooring can be made to resemble wood or vinyl flooring. With laminate flooring, however, it must be installed in low moisture areas. Otherwise the laminate layers could separate if they come in contact with water or even high moisture levels. Like engineered flooring, laminate flooring can easily be installed by DIY homeowners.

If you are determined to install hardwood floors in your basement, then at least first build the crib network of 2x4s over the concrete slab as described in the beginning of this article. The hardwood flooring can then be fastened over the plywood sheathed 2×4 crib.