Basement Carpet Tiles

Most people while in the process of basement finishing tend to pay the least amount of attention to covering the floor of their basement. While it is important to focus of the structure of design of your basement, it is also important that as you reach the final stages of basement finishing, you start thinking about proper covering for your basement flooring and the finishing touches you will give the space. There are several things that you will need to keep in mind while making a decision about what material to use to cover the basement, like the effect of moisture, mildew or a flooding situation. In such a situation one of your best basement flooring options would be to carpet tiles which can save you a lot of heartburn.

Basement Carpet Tiles

Many people often ask the reason behind using these tiles for basement floors. There are several factors that will convince you about the suitability of these tiles for the flooring of a basement. Most commercially available carpet tiles that are used for basement flooring come with a back that is made of rubber which makes it impermeable to moisture, mold, and mildew. In fact many varieties available in the market come with inhibitors for mold and mildew. One of the best things about these tiles is that in case of flooding the tiles can be easily removed, dried and then installed again. Opt for tiles with a hard backing and not those varieties that come with a cushion padding as the latter tend to absorb moisture.

Replacing these tiles is very easy as they are easy to install and easy to remove. This is one of the other things that makes them a great option for basement flooring. Also the basement is one area in the house that sees a lot of people moving in and out. Carpeting basement floor tiles with the types of tiles that are commercially available will ensure that the area does not get worn out easily as these tiles are manufactured to handle a lot of traffic. If you are worried that by these tiles, the designs available to you for the flooring will be limited, do not despair. These are available in many colors and you can combine them to create a design that you find aesthetically appealing. Another great thing about these tiles is that it makes for cheap basement flooring. Most manufacturers sell the same for as low a rate as 89 cents per square foot.

How to Install Carpet Tiles in a Basement

Learning how to install these tiles is very easy. There is absolutely no need to contact a professional. While you can use glue to stick the tiles, it is always better to just lay them tightly as this will allow you to remove the tiles when you need to. If you need to install the tiles in your house, these are the things you will need.

• Measuring tape
• Chalk line
• Knife
• Yardstick
• Carpet tiles
• Marker (preferably black)

Method

• The first step that you should undertake is to measure the dimensions of the basement floor so that you can calculate the total square feet of the area and figure out how many tiles you need to floor the basement.
• Now pry off any basement flooring that you have from before and ensure that the floor you are going to cover is clean and devoid of any moisture.
• Before installing the tiles, you will need to figure out where the center of the basement is since that is where you will start laying the tiles from. In order to do so tie the chalk like to diagonal ends and make a mark. Repeat this with the opposite diagonal corners. The center point of the room would be where the two chalk markings intersect.
• Now start placing the tiles along the center line. Starting from the center, move towards the edges of the basement. Ensure that as you place the tiles, they fit tightly together with absolutely no space in between. In order to ensure that you are placing the tiles correctly, follow the instructional arrows given on the back of the tiles.
• When you reach spaces, where a full carpet tile will not fit, use a knife to cut it to the exact measurements of the space and then place the tile there. In order to ensure that there are no runaway fibers, use a butter knife across the edge you cut.

That is all there is to the process of installing carpet tiles. Always remember that you should keep a few extra tiles to replace damaged ones. Also it is important that you place the tiles outside the box they were packed in, for at least twenty four hours before the installation process. This will allow the tiles to adjust to the temperature and humidity of the room. Now that you know the benefits of using basement carpet tiles for your floor and also know how to install the same, you can easily carpet your basement without hiring someone to do the work for you.