Tired of seeing your basement look dark and gloomy with all your old stuff lying around? Why not try transforming into another cozy room for your family to spend time together or a perfect venue for hanging out with friends indoors while enjoying movie?
Forget about the way basements were used years ago. Today, this underground room can also serve you in some other ways through various designs and styles to choose from. Let’s start at the bottom, which is the flooring, and explore the most wonderful ideas to try from the list below.
Top Basement Flooring Options and Their Pros and Cons
Sheet Vinyl Flooring
Known as an excellent choice for basement flooring together with ceramic and concrete, it comes in two types: the tile and the plank form. This type of flooring provides an almost seamless surface on the basement floor, which is 100% protection against its moisture.
PROS
- Provides a warmer feel than concrete or ceramic
- Keeps away water or moisture
- Inexpensive
CONS
- Requires completely clean surface for the perfect adhesion
- Does not allow a do-it-yourself process
Ceramic or Porcelain Tile
To achieve the best of both worlds when it comes to an attractive, finished surface, nothing compares to tiles. There are no other needed additions to be placed on this type of surface. You can install it directly onto the concrete slab of your basement flooring.
PROS
- Easily dries out and remain intact during a flood
- Does not develop rot
- Can be done by yourself
CONS
- Needs an added radiant heating for better temperature
- Does not absorb sound completely
- Large areas to be tiled require professional help
Engineered Wood
Unlike an ordinary piece of wood, engineered woods are made stronger to resist moisture. It is considered dimensionally stable and has a cross-hatched plywood underneath, which stays in good shape when exposed to a small amount of moisture.
PROS
- Can hold up against small amounts of moisture
- Good sound absorption quality
- One of the best looking basement flooring materials
CONS
- A subfloor must be put first before it
- Can be more expensive than other basement flooring options
- May be hard to remove during water damage
Luxury Vinyl Plank or Tile
A material that has been used to replicate a particular type of material like wood or stone; it is easy to style and install.
PROS
- Has a thick wear layer
- Slightly warmer floor
CONS
- May not be able to add value to your property since vinyl tile is often considered an inferior material
- May allow leak of water to the subfloor during a flood
- More expensive than the real material it replicates
Concrete Flooring
Gone are the days when concrete must remain in its raw state. Today, various ways like painting or staining can be done to create different looks. More and more homeowners are becoming open to trying this type of flooring.
PROS
- Most moisture-hardy option for basement flooring
- Requires least materials to use
- Does not need a subfloor before application
CONS
- Coldest option for the flooring and cannot be made warmer in any way
- Poor sound absorption quality
- Requires more labor for proper scouring and cleaning before staining or painting
Outstanding Basement Flooring Services
More than the material used for the flooring of your basement is the quality of work done to make it last a lifetime. Basements are known to be prone to moist and molds which are important considerations in deciding which material to use. Experts at South Shore Basement Finishing are equipped with the knowledge and skills in dealing with various types of basement flooring materials. We guarantee to help you pick the right one for your budget and needs.
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If maximizing the space inside your home is your problem, our professionals are here to offer the best basement finishing solutions. No space is too small or too big for us. With our special skills in renovating, remodeling, and finish fieldstone basement, we’re confident that we can give you the kind of basement you’ve been dreaming of.
The South Shore is our home and we value every family’s satisfaction in what we do. We believe that a basement can be a lot more than just a stock room for old junk and garbage. Turn it into a bar, a basement home theater, a man cave, or anything else you desire. We’ll help you bring that dream to life! Call us now at 781-217-3411.