Basements are an underutilized part of the house so a lot of people are starting to renovate them and one of the ways you can turn your basement into a beautiful part of the home is to put in some new basement flooring. Finding the best basement flooring for your renovation needs can make your basement more useful to you.
Flooring for basements can really make a huge difference in the look and feel of the space, so it is good to do some research to get to know all the options for basement flooring. You really want to decide how you want to use your basement after your renovatiom, then you can decide the types of basement flooring that will suit your needs.
To help you choose the best flooring for basement renovations that will make your project turn out the way you imagine, we have created this list of the six top basement flooring options available. You can use this list to help nail down the right basement flooring ideas for your renovation project.
Tile
We often associate tile flooring with the kitchen or bathroom, but the qualities that make it good for those rooms, durability, beauty and water resistance, also make tile a great option for basement flooring. From natural stone to porcelain, tile comes in so many wonderful forms that it could be difficult to choose the right type, so we can go over some basic info to help choose if tile is right for your basement flooring.
Natural stone tiles would be great if you want your basement to feel like a cool retreat from the heat and will make the space feel like a beautiful cave. White porcelain tile would be great to help brighten the space and make it feel less subterranean. Of course you can choose all sorts of decorated tiles to fit your style and taste.
For basement flooring we recommend big tiles with small grout lines, they will look really elegant and more like a seamless surface.
The drawback of tile is its cost. Tiles are expensive and so is hiring the right laborers who know how to install a tile floor properly.
Rubber Flooring
You may have seen tiles or sheets made of rubber before. The most common place you’ll find them is at gyms. One reason why they are popular in gyms is that they are durable and cheap materials that can handle heavy materials such as weights. For these reasons, they can be a good option for your basement as well.
Rubber is great for workout spaces because it absorbs impacts and it is not slippery, so you are safe to really chase those gains. Basement flooring made from rubber is the best option if you plan to transform your basement into a home gym.
As a flooring material, rubber is a cheap and viable option in general. It’s good for many surfaces but you’d want to avoid having this if you are planning to use your basement as a living space. Rubber is just not that great to look at and it’s darkness will make the basement feel, well, more like a basement.
Sheet Vinyl
This type of basement flooring is one of the cheapest and easiest to install. It is offered in a wide range of colors and patterns to fit your taste. It also has great water resistance and will be a durable material.
Sheet vinyl flooring is great for a budget friendly basement renovation and you can easily mix it with different types of flooring. It is a good option if you want to use your basement as a guest bedroom.
A drawback of using sheet vinyl for basement flooring is that if there are cracks or bumps in the subfloor, they will show through very easily. You may need to install a new subfloor before installing sheet vinyl, which could add to the cost of your basement flooring.
Epoxy/Paint
Spreading a layer of epoxy or paint onto your basement floor is the easiest method of basement flooring. It can look really good, making it seem like it is not just a slab of concrete and can bring some brightness if you choose a bright color.
Epoxy basement flooring is very strong and can have a glossy finish so it is very easy to clean. Epoxy is more expensive than paint and harder to install, but will stick much better and will never come off. It can even be strong enough to hold cracks in concrete together, stopping them from spreading.
Paint is the cheapest and easiest basement flooring, it can look really good when done correctly. You have to be sure to clean the floor well before applying the paint, or it can come off very easily. The problem with paint is that it is not very durable to foot traffic, and you will probably be repainting every few years.
Bare Concrete
Your basement likely already has a concrete slab floor, so this type of basement flooring could be easier and cheaper than all the rest. If the only problem is that the concrete is rough and uncomfortable to walk on, you can have it smoothed to have that trendy, finished concrete look.
Bare concrete is great for an industrial motif, and could be best suited for an office or work studio. Finished concrete is totally popular in modern design, so whatever your style is, it can be worked in.
Engineered Wood Flooring
Engineered wood is made out of several types of wood laminated together to create an incredibly durable flooring material. It has all the beauty of natural wood and is even stronger.
It’s a good option for your basement simply because it’s beautiful and durable. If you want your basement to be a main living space, then using engineered wood is a good idea. It offers that classy appeal that you can’t find in any other floor material for the basement.
The downside to engineered wood flooring is that it is one of the most expensive options out there. Engineered wood is one of the highest quality materials you can use for basement flooring, so if your budget allows, it is a great option.
If you have more questions about basement flooring or for free quotes and designs, feel free to call our office today or visit us on Yelp
