basement flooring

Hi. We’re looking to replace our wall to wall carpeting in our basement as we have been getting water during heavy rainfalls. Does anyone have a recommendation for flooring that can withstand moisture? We have an uneven concrete floor under the carpet that’s in reasonably good condition. Thanks!

jmkerr

in Flooring 13 years and 2 months ago

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slopemope | 12 years and 4 months ago

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If your slab is old and does not have a vabor barrier underneath, the pressure from the vapor will usually much remove what you put on the floor.  Our epoxy is chipped and has no problem coming up.  “Sealing” it is not possible, water always wins.     If you want to finish your basement slab, i would look into your contractor using a Delta-FL membrane on the slab that lets moisture circulate underneath and escape on the perimiters.  Then durock (something that won’t mold if water happens and solid enough for tilework), and then a Ditra membrane in case of any movement /hairline cracks in the slab, and protect the grout.

anotherposter | 12 years and 4 months ago

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I think tile looks nice and wear well, but personally I can’t stand dealing with the grout.  I like to keep it clean and it’s a tedious job just to clean it in a small bathroom.  We went all cement in our dry cellar.  The cement gets thin cracks (which is natural) that might make it look less nice to you, but we don’t mind.  We put down some cheap area rugs to help dampen the basement echo and find it easy to deal with.   Polished concrete is pretty expensive, I think (you get a company that specialized in this to come in and do it after it is poured and dried) or we might have done that, though I’ve seen some that seemed too slick to be safe.  You’re probably talking about what we ended up with–just a few layers of sealant.  I’ve also known people to just paint the cement with outdoor deck paint which looks nice as well and might have a slightly nicer feel on the feet.

vinniebarbarino | 12 years and 4 months ago

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i think the question is whether water comes up through the floor, not the exterior walls.   Typically the polished concrete is finished with a couple of coats of coating that provides a nice finish and cuts down on dust.  When doing my reno, I checked this out and noted that the coating  manufacturers typically advise not to be placed in basements.Similar with tile too as the water loosen the thinset mortar.