Flooring for Basements that Get Wet

Wondering what is the best flooring for a basement? Well, this is certainly a difficult decision because you need to look for a flooring option that not only goes well with your basement interiors but works well in the humid environment of a basement. Choosing appropriate flooring for your basement can be particularly difficult. You certainly need to do a little research in order to make a well-informed decision. Wondering why does a basement get wet or flooded? Owing to the direct contact between the basement's concrete sub floor, water seeps through the cracks in the concrete and damages the basement flooring. The presence of moisture also leads to the growth of mold and mildew and this can affect the health of those who are using the space in a wrong manner. It is therefore, important to makes sure that there are no cracks in the concrete, so that the flooring is protected against moisture. Here's some information on how to determine if your basement is protected against moisture.

How to Check your Basement for Moisture

Before you look into the best flooring options for a basement, you must check if the basement is protected against moisture. For that, you could consult a flooring specialist. If you have plans for basement finishing or basement remodeling in order to convert it into a livable space, you must make sure that your basement is sealed against moisture. Imagine spending all that money on a wooden flooring, only to find it getting damaged due to moisture. If you are not too keen on calling a flooring specialist, you could check the basement for moisture on your own. You need to take a piece of impermeable plastic and place it on the concrete and tape it in such a way that no air can pass through it. Check it after 24 hours. If you notice any moisture on the underside of the plastic sheet, you might need to look into basement waterproofing. If you don't do that, the presence of moisture in the concrete will make its way through the cracks and weaken the adhesive and damage the flooring.

Flooring Options for a Basement that Gets Wet

Which is the best flooring for basements that get wet? Before you look for flooring options, you must try to figure out the causes of moisture in the basement. Many a time, it could be even caused due to bad planning by the architect. If the basement drains are located at wrong places, you could call a contractor and have the drains relocated and the basement floors leveled. Sometimes, having a sump pump installed could also prove beneficial. Anyway, depending on the cause of moisture, you could try out other options, such as using vapor guard, polyethylene sheet or basement dehumidifiers. Once you solve this problem of moisture by waterproofing, you could check out the flooring options.

Concrete is also a good flooring option for the basements. Just have the concrete sealed and treated with a waterproofing compound. You can also have it painted or stained to make it look better. Stenciling and faux finishes could also be checked out. You could also place a rug over it. Other common types of flooring used in basements include ceramic tile flooring, engineered hardwood floors, laminate flooring and carpets. If there is slight moisture which can be controlled using dehumidifiers and other ways, you could certainly try the ceramic or porcelain tiles. The choice of flooring must be made after deciding how you wish to use your basement. If the climate of your region makes the basement wet or very humid, it would be a good idea to have concrete floors. If the humidity isn't too much, you could have the hardwood engineered flooring. The layered structure made using several hardwood materials will certainly resist the changes in humidity in a better way than wooden flooring. Another option would be to use laminate flooring. The wood is treated and has an aluminum coating that protects it from scratching or staining. This might look good but it isn't suitable for a basement with high levels of humidity. It must be used only if the moisture problem has been tackled. Thus, the best option for flooring for a basement that gets wet is concrete flooring.

This was some information on flooring options for basements. If you are planning to get your basement remodeled, make sure that you consult a flooring specialist.