thanks luckily not cat urine - they overeat and get sick on the carpet - very easy to clean on the vinyl floor - can you explain your message- what do you mean to contrast them both?

Traditionally you 'match' the floor that is in the public areas...that is to say the main living/entertainment of the home. If everyone and their dog hangs out in the basement and you entertain in the basement and you serve formal or semiformal dinners in the basement, then match the basement flooring.

If you have a traditional house with a stair case that is visible (open...not a closed door at the top of the stairs) from the main living space then you match the stairs to the main living space.

Basement flooring can be stand-alone.

Thanks - their is a door that separates the basement stairs from the main floor - so I guess matching the basement flooring would make sense as you can see the stair from the basement - but you cant see the stairs from the main floor - thanks for the input

There you go! The door saves the day! Besides I'm going to guess you have an easier time finding more of the new vinyl for the stairs rather than trying to find more of the older floors upstairs.

That's a win-win in my book.

IMO stairs should match the floor where the stairs go up so basement for me. You see the stairs more from below than above take heed from main floor flooring and your stairs going up stairs they always should match the main floor not the floor above .