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bertha75

Basement Floor Dilemma

10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago

Hi guys - we are in the final stage of our basement reno and I'm in the midst of a flooring dilemma. Our floor had to be regraded due to it's slope. It still has some slope but unless I want to dig out the floor, I am going to live with it. Suggestions for flooring? I really wanted wood, but have been advised that it's not a good idea in a basement because of moisture issues. We tried a pretty cheap fake wood floor from Home Depot, but it was just so cheap under foot that I returned it before we laid it all. I am now thinking about porcelain tile that looks like wood. I could also paint the concrete? I don't think I can afford polished concrete. Any suggestions welcome! My style is very minimalist and light.

Comments (11)

  • PRO
    10 years ago
    If you want wood it's possible but will not be cheap. You will need to do the following :
    1) level the floors to within 3/16" over a 10' radius
    2) use engineered hardwood(quality mfg's use a 4mm wear layer)
    3) decide if your gonna float or glue to slab
    4) use moisture barrier if it's a floater or moisture retarder adhesive with a perm rating of >1 if it's a glue down
    5) sand and finish if it's an eng glue down unfinished
    This is done by well trained pros everyday on this planet. These are general guidelines to which you will have to apply your exact situation to to refine this process down to have a good fit.
    bertha75 thanked ULTIMATE HARDWOOD LTD
  • 10 years ago

    we have a floating faux wood in basement . its beautiful

    bertha75 thanked marywashington
  • PRO
    10 years ago

    If wood is not an option I would use porcelain long planks that look just like wood. They are all the rage right now. Low cost, easy clean up and easy to install. You might have to skim coat the floor to even it out before laying the long tile planks.

  • 10 years ago

    No matter what your budget do NOT use laminate in a basement. If exposed to any moisture at all the wood fibers they are made of will expand like a sponge. Not good! And not a solution here, especially below grade which it appears you are. 1st choice: ceramic, 2nd: vinyl. Best of luck.

  • PRO
    10 years ago
    Wood looking tile 6x48 is considered a large format and is not easy to set at all. This type of install will cost near the upper range of the scale. Self level,ditra,large tile format install. In my area that gonna be near $20/sq plus the cost of tile.
  • 10 years ago

    I think there is some kind of product you can use the even out the floor.

  • PRO
    10 years ago
    I like to use RS by custom building products. It's almost foolproof so long as you mix it exactly as instructed.
  • 10 years ago

    There is leveling cement for odd floor slopes. Easy to use.

    Also a wood look vinyl that click in place would be ideal. Tile is cold cold cold and colder still in a basement.


    Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring, Wood Look, Wychwood, Sample · More Info

  • PRO
    10 years ago

    I'm sorry to say, but without levelling the slab, you are down to "sheet" products such as vinyl, lino/marmoleum and carpet. If you pay the money to have the slope dealt with fully (there are rules to slopes and rigid floors) you can have anything your heart desires. If you don't you will be playing by the rules set by the slab = nothing but sheet products.

    Some loose lay vinyl can handle a slope (Karndean has worked in the past)...Click together vinyl cannot. Most click together floors cannot handle slopes. Engineered and solid hardwoods cannot handle slopes. Most ceramic/porcelain tiles cannot handles slopes (especially "large format" tiles). You would be using the small format things (less than 10"x10").

    Some glue in place vinyl/lino tiles can handle slopes...but some do not. You might be seeing a pattern here: most floors cannot handle a slope.

    Painted concrete could work for a while. It will take several dollars per square foot to get it to work ($2-$4/sf depending on if you need moisture mitigation). Should you ever wish to add a permanent floor to the concrete, the paint would have to be removed (shot blasting...so much fun).

    Polished concrete or "finished" concrete = $5-$25/sf which may or may not include moisture mitigation (when you added concrete to the floor, did you add in a moisture barrier???).

    My experience with painted/polished/finished concrete floors: they are "covered up" inside of 5 years. Almost everyone states they are "too hard" or "too cold" to live with. The people who have them, quickly realize they are as hard to live with as they are to walk on them. If you have them finished today, please start saving money so that you can have new flooring added in 3-5 years from now...as this is a common time frame to "give up" on concrete floors.

  • 10 years ago

    Always good to learn from a pro.