Choosing flooring material for a heated basement floor

4 years ago

We are about to launch a massive basement renovation, and I'd be grateful for advice on choosing a flooring product, as I am having difficulty weighing aesthetics, comfort, heat conducting properties and resilience to moisture. Here are the considerations:

-This is a massive renovation -- digging down the basement floor two feet, underpinning the walls, waterproofing, new slab with insulation under it. And before you ask -- in my housing market yes, this is a worthwhile and very common thing to do.

-We plan to put in hydronic in-floor heating and this will be the primary way we heat the space, though we can put in some vents from the forced-air ducts that serve the rest of the house. I understand our flooring product needs to handle the heat under it well and should be something that helps spread warmth evenly.

-The basement will be freshly waterproofed but it's a basement, we know dampness is always possible.

-The space will serve as guest accommodations, a TV room, a play room for the kids and a space for my husband to practice guitar. We may occasionally host a rock band practice. We'd like it to feel cozy.

-We have a one year old and hope to have another kid, so anticipate some gross motor play and rough housing in this space over the years, with plenty of bonks. This makes me pretty hesitant to consider tile.

-Our house is 110 years old and the upstairs is done in a transitional style and has lovely new site-finished oak floors in a provincial stain. We anticipate a more contemporary style in the basement, however.

-We don't have an infinite budget but this is not a cheap reno, and we want to make sure the flooring feels high-quality and is built to last. We imagine we might be in this same house for 40-50 years.

If this was you, what material would you put in?

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Comments (12)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
4 years ago
I assume this is not a walk out. We had a 1905 house that had been raised and a new basement installed in 1926. The floor was not heated but we did a good foam underaly and a good quailty laminate from Germany it still looks great and is about 17 yrs old so the new owners say. We di not ever have a moisture issue .This was the hallway in the basement
rwiegand
4 years ago
Tile is a great choice for both basments and in-floor radiant heating. Not too expensive if you shop the bargain bins and especially if you DIY trhe install.
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denkyem
Original Author
4 years ago
Patricia, that space looks really nice!

rwiegand, I know the advantages of tile for dealing with moisture and for conducting heat. But my concern is using a tiled space as a play room for small children! Really worried about sliding feet and bonking heads. I also feel like it won't contribute to the cozy family-room atmosphere I'm hoping for down there.
Alicia
4 years ago
We are currently doing the same, though electric radiant. im considering pergo defense plus, or some other vinyl plank. we arent having our slab removed so we’ll put vapor barrier down on top of the concrete. ceramic is the hands down best option for radiant heat, but i have small children too and i can see them cracking thier heads or knocking out teeth. From what ive read the vinyl can warp if the floor heat is set too high, still seems like the best option though. hardwood isnt a great option for moisture.
WestCoast Hopeful
4 years ago
LVP is awesome. We’ve had two floods and not had to replace the flooring either time.
H B
4 years ago
Cork?
denkyem
Original Author
4 years ago
I like the LVP concept, but any concerns with offgassing from the heat?
Alicia
4 years ago
You cant do cork with radiant heat and its not great for basements
kj s
4 years ago
Marmoleum click flooring from Forbo? We have it in our basement. Happy so far. No offgassing concerns at all and we were specifically searching for a less toxic alternative to LVP. Fun colors if you want to be sassy.
WestCoast Hopeful
4 years ago
We have had zero issues with off gassing or anything other than appreciating the floor. We have three kids and a golden retriever and it’s awesome. I wouldn’t put it on our main floor, because it’s not the norm here, but super common in basements
denkyem
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks so much everyone for weighing in. I definitely think LVP might be the winner. I realize it doesn't conduct the heat as well as tile but maybe that's not a big deal. I think a wood look would be my preference, maybe with a couple area rugs to define spaces within the wide open rec room, make it feel cozier and provide extra cushioning for kids.

I grew up with a basement with wall-to-wall carpeting and my sister and I did a lot of roughhousing down there (mostly pretty safely, although once she accidentally broke a friends' collar bone with a wrestling move!) so I was just picturing all that on a tile floor and cringing.
denkyem
Original Author
4 years ago
Digging up my old thread because we're ready to go shopping for a flooring product in the next couple of weeks. We're going with an LVP. Given the in-floor heating, basement location and installation right over a slab do I want glue-down or floating? We will have our contractor handle the installation. Tips on favourite brands appreciated, especially if the product is known to be available in Canada! I saw a houzz thread about some matte LVP tearing up clothes and skin so am super wary of that given that the space will be heavily used by small crawling children.