TY!!
I love LVT, but I need to put heat mats down underneath; that’s why I was going to use porcelain tile on top.

Wellllll then you must level it. You really need to do that no MATTER what you install. For me I'd skip the heat mat, float an engineered hardwood, and add rug/s. On a LEVEL floor,

Jan, yes!! Thank you!!!
I’m going to level it AND put down heat mats, then ceramic tile. It’s too cold in the basement, where I also see clients, to not have heat (here in chicago.)

You need to level the floor. The tile install will be correct, furniture will be level, and a future buyer won’t think you cut corners.

Hallett & Co thank you!! great points!!
The floor has been fine for the past seven years and the furniture fits great!
I’m not sure if it isn’t that my tile guy is extremely obsessive.

agree. not that big of a deal to bring in the self leveling stuff. in the long run, you'll be happier

and, if you want the heat, consider slate tiles (or the porcelain). but the slate tile actually does not get cold. it adjusts to room temperature and doesn't get icy like ceramic or porcelain.

Wen that is installed...........YOU MUST WAIT. Do not be tempted to "test" right away. When the "wait is over, after the install of tile and generally a couple weeks.......it goes up VERY gradually or you WILL crack tiles. By gradual I mean a degree or two at a time.

Beth, Thank you!! I did not know that about slate! I’m so excited to check out slate now!!

Jan, Thank you so much for this info; I had no idea!!!!

jenny, make sure you look at gauge slate. (it's cut evenly)

these are all black slate (and they do need to be sealed (on the tops only) before install.

Thanks, Beth!! What would I do without you? :)

lol,,I'm sure you'd do just fine! look at all the other people you have to help!

No heat in a basement in Chicago. That's brave. Here is my issue. The heating coils/wires/mats will heat the flooring nicely but it will heat the EARTH much more.

Do you have plans regarding insulation UNDERNEATH the heating elements? You will want to figure this part out or else you will be loosing 50%-80% of the heat to the earth (we call this a heat sink...because heat sinks into and never comes out). The tiny bit left will enter the tiles.

Your energy bills will skyrocket if you do not insulation UNDERNEATH the heat. This insulation will add $$$$ to the installation bill.

Once you have seen the cost of this as a TOTAL price, you will realize it might be faster, cheaper, easier to add baseboard heaters to the space and use the vinyl planks you want.

Or cork floating flooring + cork underlayment + a baseboard heat = super warm, quiet, fast, cheap(er) project.

I often see installation for the heating coils/mats/tubes come in around $15 - $25/sf. And then you have to level the space...and add the cost of the insulation UNDERNEATH the heating...and then you have to purchase the flooring...have it installed, etc. This gets very expensive very, very quickly.

Great ideas!! Thanks, SJ!!!!

I wouldn't level the floor. Basment floors are not level for a reason. They are pitched to the drains. Hopefully you don't get water in the basement, but stuff happens. Hot water tanks fail, washers leak, pipes bust

Our first house was on a hill. Our basement was semi finished our neighbors was leveled and drains covered. We had a down pour that lasted hours. The water couldn't roll down the hill fast enough and was pouring in the basement windows. We didn't lose anything . The water ran across the floor and down the drain. Our neighbor lost everything in their basement. Furniture, furnace, drywall, washer, dryer , etc. Their basement turned into a swimming pool. None of it was covered by insurance.

Granted, we have heated floors in small spaces--our bathrooms--but one is in the basement and let me tell you, heated floors are THE BOMB. I will never not have heated bathroom floors again (my cat agrees). And if we could afford it on our measly budget, then it's doable. The cost was only a few hundred more, but like I said, they are in bathrooms, not an entire basement. Good luck.

I like the cork suggestion, too.

I'm in the "I'll never have unheated tile floors again" camp. House before last we started with the master bath, then put it in the kitchen, then into the adjoining sunroom.....

We just moved into a new house and the bathrooms will all get new tile with heated floors. They need to be updated anyway, so we're not being wasteful.

We DIY it, so cost is only a few dollars per square foot for materials.