How to Finish a Basement Floor

The basement area in most homes lack that well-finished look. If a basement is unused it can be turned into a store room for storing damaged or unnecessary objects. But believe me, basements are great extensions to your residence which add up extra area to the total usable space. Finishing a basement and giving it a new look is always a good idea. A well-finished basement can be used as entertainment space, playroom, basement bar, guest room, study room or home office as well. While finishing the basements, working on the flooring is the primary task. Wondering how to finish a basement floor? For finishing regular concrete basement floors you need to work on two tasks, sealing the surface and painting it well. So here are some easy steps to be followed for the same, and few more ideas on basement finishing.

Tips to Follow

Clean and Ready the Concrete Floor
Start the process by washing the floor and cleaning it thoroughly with soapy water. Once dried, you need to sweep or vacuum the floor to remove any particles left behind. Filling up the cracks with concrete is the next step that you need to follow. This will seal the floor and make it ready for further procedure. Now you just have to sand the floor to make it even. Also try to remove any high patches or lumps of concrete on the flooring area.

Preparing for Paint
Now it's time to prepare the floor for application of paint. All you need to do is mask off the areas which you don't wish to paint. Use a painter's tape for this task. Now take a paint roller and floor sealer. Start applying floor sealant using paint roller from a corner of the floor. Once the entire floor is covered, leave it to dry for at least 12 hours.

Painting the Floor
Now you can grab one of the best paints or enamels from the various options available for painting concrete floors. Epoxy paint is a popular pick for this task. There are various colors available in this paint. Choosing a light shade like off-white or beige is sure to help you get the best effect. Textured paints are becoming popular these days due to the amazing look they impart to unfinished floors. You can find faux finish paints which can give your gray concrete floors a pricey look of granite, marble, or other natural stones.

Other Ideas to Try

While searching for ideas, you will find many other ideas apart from painting them. As painting is the most cost-effective basement finishing solution, it remains a popular choice of many individuals and home improvement experts. But you can also consider other ideas like carpeting which imparts a nice touch to these floors. There are wide range of options in carpeting and you can pick a design which fits in your budget. Installing carpet tiles is also a great idea to renovate basements and give them a rich finish in low cost. This is available in a range of colors, designs and textures. Vinyl flooring is another alternative to paints which is also known to give a nice look to the floors. Again these are available in low-high range and offer you an array of choices.

Finishing the dull gray concrete basements is the first step towards renovating this area and converting it into living space. With the aforementioned basement finishing tips and ideas you can easily give a makeover to this area of your home. So checkout the various options, choose your pick to finish these floors and get ready to use this unused space.