When finishing out your basement to use it as a living space of any sort, you need to keep in mind that the flooring is of the utmost importance. The best basement flooring needs to be cost-effective, comfortable, durable, and have a nice appearance. Most basements have a concrete floor that is solid, flat, and durable. However, if you are planning a basement finishing in St. Louis, you’ll likely want an upgraded floor to make your new space more attractive, comfortable, and easier to keep clean.
Fixing The Concrete
If the concrete has any cracks or imperfections in it, is rough in places, or if water comes into your basement during wet weather, then these areas need to be repaired first, before adding the sub-flooring.
Basement Sub Flooring
A cold floor may be okay in some instances, such as for a workshop or home gym, but if you are remodeling your basement to be a home theater, kid’s playroom, game room, or family room, you will want a subfloor over the concrete to make an insulated substrate for your flooring option that you choose. Subfloor tiles can include a drainage space for moisture, rigid foam insulation, and a composite surface that is prepared for your finished flooring materials.
Here Are The 7 Best Basement Flooring Options
Your best basement flooring options will depend on what you are using the newly finished space for and the cost.
1. Paint
Simply painting the concrete will work for a home gym or a workshop. It has no insulating properties, and you can expect the floor to stay cold. It’s extremely cost-effective, and the paint must be formulated for concrete floors. First, the surface will need to be prepped, then the paint applied, and the drying time must also be observed.
2. Epoxy
Epoxy is a two-part coating that is applied much like paint, but it’s thicker, smoother, more durable, and easier to keep clean. Fine sand or plastic flakes are often broadcasted over the surface to add texture and color, but it doesn’t insulate the floor.
3. Tile
Installing a tile floor gives you an almost unlimited amount of choices in color, designs, and shapes. Before installing the tile, the concrete will need to be prepped and fixed, and you will also need a subfloor to insulate your tile.
4. Rubber Sheets/Rubber Tile
This resilient flooring is often seen in health clubs and gyms. It is loved because it’s waterproof, stain resistant, durable, and easy to keep clean. You can use either interlocking rubber tiles or rubber sheets for your basement flooring. They do give you a level of insulation over a concrete floor, and you also get good traction. There are different textures and a limited color range.
5. Vinyl Planks/Tiles
You get great value with vinyl planks and tiles for the money it costs. These types of flooring are easy to install because of the interlocking joints, and you also have a huge variety of styles. It can look like wood, or it can look like ceramic tile in several different colors. It can be installed over concrete or a subfloor, and it’s quicker to install than sheet vinyl. If you incur any damage in a vinyl plank or tile floor, you only need to replace the tiles or planks that are damaged.
6. Sheet Vinyl
Sheet vinyl is quite popular in basement flooring options. It’s affordable, durable, easy to clean, and available in a huge variety of patterns and styles to give you many choices. If there are any rough spots or cracks in the concrete floor, they will show through the vinyl. So, for the best appearance, you should correct imperfections in the concrete and install a subfloor before adding sheet vinyl as your finished flooring.
7. Engineered Wood
Engineered wood looks and feels just like real wood flooring. It’s similar to plywood with a thin layer of wood that is bonded to other woods or composites. Engineered wood comes in long planks that interlock on the long sides, and they are very suitable for basements with a factory-applied water-resistant finish. Some brands can be installed directly over concrete floors, while others require a subfloor first.
Work with Professionals
The different flooring options for finished basements are available at several different price points. After you decide what your new area will be, then you can choose which of the flooring types best suit your purposes while being cost-effective. Schedule an appointment now!
At Marvelous Basements and Remodeling, we can help you find the best flooring possible and stay within your budget, as well. We are a certified St. Louis basement finishing contractor with over 30 years of experience creating finished basements for any purpose you may desire.
Let the pros show what expert basement flooring design is all about. Contact Marvelous Basements and Remodeling today to learn what we can do for you in your next project on basement finishing in St. Louis!
