How to Install Basement Flooring

During the winter season, it is often seen that the flooring in our house or our basement gets too cold and somehow gets unbearable at times. This is the time all we think of doing is insulate the flooring and make our home more energy-efficient. Insulating the already existing concrete flooring helps to reduce the cold, keeps the room warmer and also helps you save some of your heating bills that you expend behind costly heating appliances. Although it can be a little tedious procedure to go about installing the cold, hard flooring into a basement for warm, cozy living, the good news is the installation job is pretty simple. With a few lucid instructions and tools, you are good to conduct this job all on your own. So delve further into this write-up and read the short, effective method for the same.

Benefits for Installing a Basement Flooring

If you plan to undertake any home improvement project, the task must be done decently and thoroughly. Today's age doesn't maintain their basements as a piece of junk wherein, they would dump all the food supplies and house materials in the form of a storage place. Today, people value and embellish each and every corner of their house in the most graceful way they can. For them a good home decor is really necessary. So just in case, if you plan to remodel your basement for creating extra room for an extravagant living, installing flooring can be an effective start. Perhaps, there are one too many options for the same. There can be vinyl, carpeting, epoxy coating, lamination, wood flooring, painting colorful patterns on the floor and so on. With so many extra value added benefits for establishing a basement flooring, which homeowner would not want an appealing aesthetic in his or her home? Furthermore, learning how to install wood flooring in basement (as a sub-floor) definitely helps to prevent the fuss and threat of moisture seeping into the costly carpet or wood flooring above. Sub-floor insulation absolutely gives protection against the moisture damage in the basement flooring.

Well, after going through all these benefits, whatever be your intention of installing the flooring, I hope these benefits fulfill your purpose. The process involves an insulation layer in between the concrete floor and the ground. This literally helps to keep the home comfy and warm in any season. Here's a procedure to learn how to install laminate flooring in basement.

Installing Basement Flooring

Required Materials & Tools

• 2x4 pressure treated studs
• 3''masonry screws
• 2'' galvanized wood screws
• ¾'' tongue and groove sun-flooring
• 1 ½'' rigid foam insulation

Method

1. Assure for the Water Percolation: If there is water percolation in your basement, which occurs during the monsoon weather or so, installing the flooring in your basement will be a total waste of time, energy and money. Everything will be ruined like the wood or the carpet flooring would be totally ruined because of the seeping water. Resolve the problem and then continue the installation process.
2. Buy a Concrete Sealer: From a home improvement store you can buy the concrete sealer and secure the flooring slabs tightly. This is a one-time procedure and needs to be done attentively.
3. Slab Cleaning Before Installation: Any sort of debris and dust needs to be removed prior to the installation of the concrete sealer. It's a simple roll-on application and takes 24 hours to settle thoroughly.
4. Frame the Flooring: If you wish to have an extended floor framing life, use pressure treated lumber for installation. So, install the 2 x 4 sleepers (pressure treated materials) in flat side down fashion right on top of the concrete. At every feet secure the 3'' masonry screws tightly. Again at every 16'' on the center of the flooring, establish these sleepers in a wall to wall fashion. The final picture will be a grid type look.
5. Install Foam Insulation: The 1 ½'' rigid foam insulation has to be installed in the bays right in between the sleepers. These foam insulation are available in wide boards measuring 15'' and 23'' wide. Use a utility knife to cut the desired length in the board.
6. Install the Plywood: The ¾'' tongue and groove plywood sub-flooring needs to be installed atop the sleeper. You will have to fasten them at every 8'' on the center with galvanized 2'' screws.

Note: The sub-flooring is chemically treated and hence, the texture of the regular screws wouldn't withstand much. If using galvanized screws is not possible, try using wooden screws as an alternative.

So did you see by keeping some basic instructions in mind, how easy it was to install flooring in your basement? Many people prefer using different types of materials for basement floors like wood, ceramic tiles or lamination. To an extent all these materials helps to keep out the moisture and keeps the room warm and cozy!