basement floor

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stained concrete is fine if you own a post-industrial loft. For the average DC area colonial it might look a little out of place. Also -- and admittedly I know nothing about the process -- I would wonder what they are staining it with.

It is the blood of little Christian babies, I am afraid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't want to do tile, laminate wood floor (aka plastic) could be a good way to go. Some of it really isn't half bad looking, & it's just a basement.

Water ruins laminate. My neighbors had a pipe burst overnight right after they finished putting in their laminate floor. The whole floor was ruined.

YOu should never put laminate on concrete floors - A) as the OP said, it's ruined by water right away B) it buckles over time (especially if it wasn't laid down correctly)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are products that allow any type of flooring to "float" over concrete...Carpet isn't a bad choice, it can be taken up and dried if it floods, although if flooding is a regular event you might consider fixing the underlying problem.

Cork is also a good, green, alternative and is good for a basement play area.

Do you know how cork would wear with kids/toys/dogs? And is all cork tiles? Any local vendor reps that you could rec? I'm having a difficult time finding info about it.

[Anonymous]

We're having Cork installed in the basement; after the downstairs bathroom is completed. Cork looks like hardwood floors but is moisture resistent and very sturdy. Being warm and cozy is my goal for the basement, since it has a wood burning fireplace and we spend a lot of time down there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're having Cork installed in the basement; after the downstairs bathroom is completed. Cork looks like hardwood floors but is moisture resistent and very sturdy. Being warm and cozy is my goal for the basement, since it has a wood burning fireplace and we spend a lot of time down there.

We considered it...but flooring people warned that heavy furniture, like a pool table, will cause the cork to buckle and crack. That was the straw for us.

[Anonymous]

My floating laminate floor was destroyed in the recent flooding. It trapped moisture, buckled, and stank.

[Anonymous]

What about the glue on plastic plank flooring that is meant to look like wood? I know it's not the most authentic of materials, and not the most realistic looking, but it is definitely water resistent and when paired with area rugs, might not be a bad choice. Candice Olason uses it quite frequently in her basement remodels.

[Anonymous]

Travertine doesn't do well with water and moisture. It's also pretty expensive for a basement. But to each his own.

First you need to deal with drainage around the house so you don't have water in the basement--protect your investment, and actually, travertine is perfect for my house. So I guess to each his own is correct.

[Anonymous]

Travertine doesn't do well with water and moisture.

Really? Check out a few bathrooms.

It's also pretty expensive for a basement. But to each his own.

I think that depend upon how the basement is used.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get a good waterproof ceramic tile and then put down area rugs that you'd be willing to toss out if they got soaked. A less visually appealing alternative is carpet tile; you can replace any squares that get inundated. If you go this route, get a patterned tile -- the seams are less noticeable that way.

I agree but would suggest porcelain tile, which is more durable than ceramic (will not break). Our basement flooring is 18" porcelain tiles laid on the diagonal, in a neutral color. In the TV area we have a large area rug.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't want to do tile, laminate wood floor (aka plastic) could be a good way to go. Some of it really isn't half bad looking, & it's just a basement.

Water ruins laminate. My neighbors had a pipe burst overnight right after they finished putting in their laminate floor. The whole floor was ruined.

I agree. I believe that installing laminate below grade level voids the warranty, as well.

[Anonymous]

Continuing the discussion on travertine tiles. I'm the poster who said they don't do well with moisture.

I agree that travertine looks great, in both kitchens and bathrooms. (We can have a discussion about whether using travertine in such places is a passing trend, but that's for another day.) It looks so good that people are willing to accept, and cope with, the fact that it's a porous rock and is more susceptible to stains than, say, porcelain or ceramic tile.

So in some cases the good looks may be worth the trouble of travertine. I was only raising the question of whether using it for a basement floor qualifies as worth the trouble.


http://www.ehow.com/way_5389827_travertine-floor-tiling-techniques.html

[BarryAntonelli]

Believe it or not, any flooring is possible in a basement- but, as long as the basement remains dry. Once there is moisture intrusion, any type of flooring is susceptible to damage. I suggest waterproofing the entire cove area before installing any type of flooring.

[Anonymous]

We put in Allure Ulra fromHome Depot

[Anonymous]

Allure Ultra is what I meant to say.