Basement Flooring Options

[BJXDS]

Due to a water leak the existing carpet needs to be removed.

What type of flooring would you recommend, subfloor is cement slab?

[WobblyPossum]

What do you do with your basement? Is it a living space, home gym, storage space, etc? I recently replaced the carpeting in my house with Pergo Outlast laminate flooring. The installation was pretty quick once we got the hang of it. The hardest part was making the irregular cuts around doorways. It’s scratch resistant and water resistant. They advertise a decent warranty as long as you completed the installation per the instructions including sealing the edges where the floor meets the wall with silicone caulk.

[RoyGBiv]

I was very happy with price and quality of the LVP I purchased from https://americanflooringcorp.com/product-category/commercial/

Used the thick commercial stuff for refurbing a rental property. Pad pre-attached. Feels great under foot. Easy to install. Looks great.

Had some damage during shipping. Seller replaced promptly, but, allow at least 1 week between delivery and installation just in case something needs to be re-shipped.

Had a relative replace bamboo flooring with LVP in their high end kitchen. They paid a lot more (more than 2x) and the quality is not half as good (non-commercial grade).... The boards flex when you walk on it.

Talking with Wife about LVP when we refurb our main level.

[Darth_Uno]

If customers aren't trying to save money and stay with carpet, we always recommend LVP in basements. The "good" options really jump from LVP to tile - hardwood's a poor choice. Too susceptible to moisture and buckling.

That's the short answer, I can pontificate if you like.

[RoyGBiv]

Another thought.... I have no idea about the cost for polished concrete, but, spent some time in a house with concrete floors recently and I really liked it. Even Wife begrudgingly approved of the floors after many times poo-pooing the idea. They had really nice dark gray soapstone countertops that went really well with the floors.

Definitely need to be sealed to prevent staining.
Very neutral so, easy to change appearance with area rugs, etc.

When I have my next basement, LVP for sure, unless someone invents something better in the next few years.

[randyho]

We went with LVP in a bathroom and won't use laminate again. Very happy with it.

We did go with tile for our foyer this year and, sample of one, pro tile setters are not what they used to be. If we need tile, I'll do it myself. With LVP, we won't need tile.

[davisj]

My basement flooded a few years ago and I faced the same choice. First, be sure to seal the concrete and fill any cracks before applying flooring.

After much research I went with Lifeproof flooring from Home Depot. It cheap but the pad is attached and once you get the hang of it it’s pretty easy to install. While they don’t recommend it, it’s rigid and thick enough that you can use a jigsaw to cut odd angles and trim under doors. It does eat blades.

Comes with a lifetime warranty when installed in a residence. I have larger dogs and have had zero scratches on the flooring. Liked it so much I installed it in the entire house except the bedrooms because the kids wanted carpet. I was able to connect it across two bathrooms, several closets, hallway, den, dining room, kitchen and mud room. Looks like one seamless piece. Highly recommend.

[Flamingo]

I did an epoxy on the concrete. I really like it, but the basement is "man cave".

[Clusterfrack]

I did an epoxy on the concrete. I really like it, but the basement is "man cave".

Your man cave is amazing. So jealous…

[Borderland]

We did sheet vinyl on our concrete floor basement about 15 years ago. It flooded once before we had the install. I took care of the flooding with drainage upgrades so nothing since that happened. The room is used as a man cave (reloading) and an entertainment area (big screen) for me better half. So far no issues. It's easy to clean (we had dogs) and I can vacuum up powder and primers. I had a telephone repair guy ask about it because he was looking at finishing a basement with a concrete floor. He said it looked like tile. They have some amazing textures and patterns that will take a close look to know what it is. He thought that was his answer. So far it's worked very well for us.

[BJXDS]

If customers aren't trying to save money and stay with carpet, we always recommend LVP in basements. The "good" options really jump from LVP to tile - hardwood's a poor choice. Too susceptible to moisture and buckling.

That's the short answer, I can pontificate if you like.

Please pontificate. I am not sure I really understand the difference between laminate and LVP??

We do not want to go with carpet again, and my wife needs something softer than finished concrete, sheet or vinyl, or tile under foot. Laminate/LVP and area rugs would probably be about the best solution.

[RoyGBiv]

Please pontificate. I am not sure I really understand the difference between laminate and LVP??

We do not want to go with carpet again, and my wife needs something softer than finished concrete, sheet or vinyl, or tile under foot. Laminate/LVP and area rugs would probably be about the best solution.

"Laminate" usually refers to an engineered wood product where the main portion of the flooring is made from fiberboard with a top layer made from a resin that covers a wood-look layer. The whole thing looks like a solid wood floor, but performs very differently and usually cannot be refinished like solid wood, by sanding and re-staining. Laminate does not like wetness. It's way worse than wood or carpet in damp spaces. For example, our house (unfortunately) has laminate flooring on the main level. After steam cleaning the floors one day, the protective chair pad in Wifes office got put back on the floor before it was completely dry, trapping some (minimal) moisture between the floor and the plastic pad. A small section of the top layer of the laminate floor peeled off in a matter of hours.

LVP is made entirely of resin and should be impermeable to moisture if installed correctly. There are various grades of LVP, from flimsy to thick. And LVP has a protective wear layer on top that can also vary in quality and thickness, so, you can certainly get low grade LVP. LVP can also have various layers included for different performance issues.... The stuff we bought had padding attached to the bottom that gives it a great foot feel when you walk on it. I've seen some with a cork layer as well.

The plastic composites that can be used in the core of LVP provide different performance.... You can find a good flooring place a check out the differences... be sure to take off your shoes... https://www.parterreflooring.com/spc-wpc-commercial-flooring/

* I am not in the construction business.... I'm just an anal retentive consumer. Although, I don't usually do spreadsheets. Usually. :o

[Darth_Uno]

RoyGBiv got it.

LVP and laminate are often, incorrectly, used interchangeably to mean a non-wood flooring that looks like wood. LVP and laminate are substantially different products, like "clip" and "magazine". Laminate has its uses, just not in basements due to its composition. In fact when we'd have customers insist on using laminate below grade we made it clear we had no warranty. We also used commercial grade laminate in our office. Like I said, it has its place.

LVP is 100% waterproof and an excellent choice for any areas that may have higher moisture, such as basements. Now it's not waterproof where you can submerge it indefinitely, but it doesn't buckle or warp with temperature or humidity changes. There's different membranes that go underneath LVP. Some come attached to the planks, some come in rolls that you put down first. If your basement floods the membrane may hold moisture. We recommend a self-draining rubber membrane and not just foam, or the foam will get soaked and never dry out. Exactly how well the rubber membranes drain I can't say, but supposedly they don't grow mold.

[BJXDS]

Thanks guys, LVP it is