Don't want to do LVP

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

Hello! We are doing an entire home remodel and my last big decision is what to put on the basement floors.

We have a walkout basement, and we have a patio right off the back porch that we entertain at a lot. So there is lots of foot traffic in the basement from the patio to the kitchen upstairs, using the bathroom, and using the wet bar. We also have a tuck-under garage, and we enter the house through the garage in the basement. So, garage entry, back porch entry, and wet bar makes it so that I DON'T want carpet in the basement.

But all the LVP concrete/stone look (not wood) I've come across I really don't like. It's all so fake-y AND I don't like that it's plastic and probably off gasses fumes.

I really want to do tile, but everyone is telling me it will be cold and hard. We have baseboard water boiler heating, and it's never cold downstairs. And we will have rugs down there too. It's also a LOT more expensive.

HELP!! I need help!

Featured Answer

PRO

Kristin Petro Interiors, Inc.

3 years ago

I designed with cork over ten years ago in this basement. Really comfortable under foot. Drawbacks are it's not waterproof like tile or some LVT. Also, there were some issues with fading from the UV rays coming in (it was also a walkout). It can scratch, but the pattern of the cork helps to hide it.

I used a really nice large scale tile with a matte finish in a basement a few years ago. It was comfortable and looked great.

(Yes, that's a concession stand outside of their home theater...brilliant!)

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Comments (13)

beeboo22
3 years ago
Look into cork planks or marmoleum (made from linseed oil).
Mrs Pete
3 years ago
LVP is inexpensive (relatively speaking) and hard-working. Since you say you're going to put rugs over it anyway, why isn't it good enough?

I agree that tile is cold and hard on the joints. It's also super-hard to remove, if you want to change it in the future. I like the linoleum in my kitchen better than the tile in my bathrooms.
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Jennifer K
3 years ago
I have tile in my basement and I love it. It's easy to keep clean and wears forever. And since I'm not usually standing around in bare feet on it, the hardness/coldness is not an issue. Yes, it was significantly more expensive than LVP. But I will never have to replace it.
PRO
Sabrina Alfin Interiors
3 years ago
Commercial indoor/outdoor carpet or carpet tiles. Soft on the feet, works well on concrete slabs, and you can get creative with the design:

Equestrian-Themed Lower Level Recreational Room · More Info

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PRO
Unique Wood Floors
3 years ago
I would look at Amorim Wise cork options which are renewable products at a comparable price to LVPs.

Amorim Wise
Haley Schuh
Original Author
3 years ago
@Jennifer K good to know! are your tiles heated slash do you live somewhere warm?
Jennifer K
3 years ago
No, they aren't heated. And I'm in Canada, so winter is definitely a thing.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years ago
I live in Canada I have LVP in my walkout . It is 15 yrs old , we have 3 huge dogs in and out of a free run dog run in all kinds of weather. This space is also used for pool access and the bathroom so lots of wet feet . We installed our very early type vinyl plan on a subfloor over the concrete to keep the floor a bit warmer . The new LVP have than subfloor type material attached . Ours was dri-core. I did a clients she shed with mannington concrete look Adura and it is awesome

I use Mannington a lot for clients and to be honest not one has complianed abot a smell from off gassing
Mari
3 years ago
Look into Flooret or Malibu Wide Oak for realistic-looking LVP...I was pleasantly surprised!
btydrvn
3 years ago
20 years ago we did Cortec LVP.. chose the top quality wood grain look in a light golden color…because we are on a slab and live in the country where ground water could be an issue and country use is a little rough on other surfaces..it still looks perfect and we have even had people mistake it for real wood… 🤷🏻‍♀️…there was never a “ smell” issue ..the installation is quick and easy…so no inconvenient disruption time for installation…the maintenance is literally a wipe with a damp mop or cloth when there is a spill…and a dust mop now and then…normal dust and dirt barely shows on the wood pattern…
kj s
3 years ago
Ditto for marmoleum. Fun color range, sheet pro install or diy plank click and lock options. We did Flor carpet tiles as well in part that was not level. We are very happy with them both in terms of durability. No off gassing, no vinyl, no funky chemicals was a big driver in my decision making.
worthy
3 years ago
We used quartzite in this portion of the basement.

We've also used ceramic tile. Scatter rugs for kids who seem to have a thing about lying on floors!