If you’ve been around a while, you may have noticed that a fair number of basements are less-than furnished. Part of this is because basements are often seen as storage spaces or non-living spaces to save on heating/cooling.
Another reason is that basements require some extra consideration for materials that will handle the extra moisture and humidity. In that light, consider the following basement flooding ideas.
Basement Flooring Ideas
From an aesthetic standpoint, basements receive less light than upper floors. This means that they will look somewhat different from other flooring options.
When selecting materials for a basement, consider that images in catalogs or on websites are being lit as if by natural sunlight. This means your choices will look a bit different but, bonus, the lack of natural light means less bleaching and floors that last longer.
Outside of that, knowing the humidity and frost line of your area will help in picking out the best flooring for a basement. You want something that resists moisture, especially in core layers, or the floor may warp over time, allowing noisy bubbles and creaks to form in the center.
If warping is strong enough, the material pulls away from the wall, allowing passageways for insects to move about freely and undetected.
Vapor Barriers
One way to expand your workable basement flooring options is to install a vapor layer. This won’t turn the downstairs into a ground floor or upstairs floor, but it will minimize much of the difference in moisture accumulation.
A vapor barrier isn’t particularly expensive but does need to be installed as a component of the subfloor. This means it is a thing best done during construction and a real pain to do as part of a remodel.
Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl is an excellent option for basement flooring because it is easy to work with and wicks moisture well. You find vinyl flooring in all sorts of patterns, textures, and qualities, which lends itself to many styles.
As vinyl mimics other flooring types well, it also lets you try out a flooring type at a lower price point and then decide if you want to change up any other areas in the house for hardwood, stone, or ceramics.
Check out this additional information to get high quality flooring for your basement.
Epoxy Flooring
If you like the idea of a basement floor being a storage area or a more unfinished type of space, consider epoxy flooring. Rather than put a whole layer of additional material on top of the concrete subfloor, simply apply a layer of durable waterproof epoxy.
This retains the same gray appearance but adds protection against infiltrates. If you use the basement as an airlock for winter time this keeps the upper floors of the house drier and warmer.
Concrete Stain
If gray isn’t your bag, colored stains can be mixed in with epoxy coatings to provide a stained-glass appearance that adds the same protections.
Jump In!
These are the most popular basement flooring ideas to date. Each offers a lot of protection from temperature changes and they are all workable on a budget.
For more ideas and tips, check out some other posts here.