Choosing The Perfect Basement Flooring

Google Advertising

Despite being an important part of the house, basement wouldn't generally get the kind of attention as the rest of the house does. It is largely because most of the householders use it as a dumping ground or for storage of infrequently used and condemned items. Of course it can be made functional for being used for a lot of other purposes, as you will discover thru this article. Depending on the intended purpose of its use, a basement could be furnished with a suitable floor material to match its looks with the kind of activities that might go in there. Here is a list of materials that could be used for covering the floor and even the walls and the roof if needed, and enhance its looks to make it suitable for the purpose for which it'll be used.

Concrete - Good old concrete flooring continues to be a favorite of most of the people who generally make use of it for storing household stuff. Very often we find the basement being used as a workshop for doing all the odd jobs involving the use of drill machine, hammer, saw and a number of similar noisy tools. Only a concrete floor can bear the brunt of such tools and the materials that are handled on such machines. If the basement is to be used for such purposes you hardly have an alternate choice of flooring, and unfortunately there is not much that can be done to improve its aesthetic quotient.



Ceramic Tile - this is a good substitute for concrete. But you have to keep I mind the kind of activity that is going to take place in the basement. In case you expect movement of heavy objects in this region, perhaps you will be better off with some other option. On the other hand, it's perfect for housing of your washing and drying machines. Moisture is a common phenomenon with most of the basements because of the presence of humid air beneath a house and ceramic tiles shield the floor from water damage.

Hardwood Laminate -In case you are going to make use of the basement for a purpose other than storage, you won't find anything more appropriate than a hardwood laminate. It is not uncommon to see basements being converted to a room to be used as library, function room, games room or even a music room. It's attractive flooring for such converted rooms and gives a feeling of warmth. But, care must be taken to provide a good ventilation system, as moisture is a very common problem associated with basements. The basement should not be left closed for long intervals, as the built-up humidity will cause damage to wood.

Thick Carpeting -This is perhaps the simplest way to cover a basement. As already noted, concrete floor is preferred by a majority of people. Thick carpeting may not be a good option for the basement if it is going to experience a continuous haulage or dragging of heavy materials over it. Yet, carpeting is a good choice for basements used for storage of light and small items that may occasionally require a little bit of pushing or dragging. An air dehumidifier is needed for. Carpeted basements are necessarily provided with an air dehumidifier, else moisture of the basement may result to mold build-ups in the carpet.



Rubber/Foam Mats -This may be classified as a combination of carpeting with ceramic tiles. Being waterproof these offer an advantages over a carpet. Another advantage is that they won't build up molds. However, it most helpful feature is to absorb noise. That characteristic makes them a favorite of busy basements that face a lot of traffic and the noise associated with that. Rubber mats are helpful in suppressing the noise level. Lining the walls and ceiling of the basement with an acoustic insulating material may further reduce noise levels to the extent that the rest of the household remains undisturbed even if power tools were used in the middle of the night.


Radiant Heating -In cold weather, radiant heating panels form the best choice as they waterproof and sturdy. Even under extreme cold conditions they are rally able to entrap and retain heat to offer a warm room. Te only draw back of such flooring is that it cannot be used for houses located in warmer environments. Basements, as you know are by design hot and the hot air trapped therein adds to humidity. Thus, such flooring would naturally add to the problem of houses located in tropical areas.