Basement finishing - need flooring suggestions

[NewJeffCT]

We're hopefully going to finish our walk-out basement some time in the near future. The area we are going to finish is a good 700-800 square feet, if not a little more. And, it has a 9 foot ceiling & roughed in plumbing, so it is made to be finished.

What I was wondering is what should we use for flooring? The basement is slightly damp in the Connecticut summer (we run a dehumidifier), but has no water problems due to the house being on a hill. However, the dampness probably precludes hardwood flooring.

When we had a guy over a few months ago to talk about installing a deck, he mentioned putting in something like Pergo flooring - fake wood. Then, he said we could put rugs over the Pergo if we wanted to add color.

Any other thoughts? Wall-to-Wall Carpet? Ceramic Tile? Bamboo? Something else?

We're likely just going with standard sheetrocked walls & nothing fancy for the ceiling.

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. Appraiser checking in here.

Best advice I can give is carpeting. If your basement is damp, Pergo will warp over time just as Comp tile cracks up with moisture. Ceramic tile is expensive and not justified for a basement finish (i.e. it's super adequate and wouldn't bring you any money on a sale). Carpet is, by far, the easiest to install and the cheapest. It also has the added benefit of sound reduction and added insulation for a chilly basement. Good luck, whatever you decide! :hi:

[eyesroll]

Just be careful that the carpeting is designed for below-grade use

Otherwise, the dampness could lead to mold.

Now, if the basement actually takes in water (rather than just humidity, but trickles/pools/etc.), talk to a waterproofing contractor first. Even the most "waterproof" carpets will still mold, or at best get musty and squishy, if they sit in water for too long.

Good luck.

[ret5hd]

8. question...

how will carpet hold up under continuously damp conditions (over several years)?

[ScreamingMeemie]

9. It will be destroyed. As would Comp tile, Ceramic tile, pergo or any

type of flooring. Which is why it is the best choice as it is easy, and cheaper,to replace. There is only so much value that can be given for finished basements, no matter how expensive the finish is. :hi:

[NewJeffCT]

12. Thanks

We'll probably do some sort of carpet, but we have friends that finished their basement with tile a few years ago and it looked really good, though it was always cold down there.

[pansypoo53219]

13. when damp in our basement

stuff 'grew' on the rug. i say linoleum or that pell and stick flooring. i would say tile myself.

[ScreamingMeemie]

15. Tile will be destroyed in damp basements, as will linoleum, wood,

ceramic etc... I look at it from a cost point of view. You're only going to get so much on the market for a finished basement. Carpet is easiest and cheapest to replace. :hi:

[gpandas]

2. for a basement floor...

i would advise a water-proof floor material, such as ceramic tile.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

3. Get some kind of neutral tiling...

Number one, it's cheap, number two, it's easy to clean, and number three, if you're going to cover it with area rugs, you can go cheap. Good luck. Finishing a basement is hard work.
Duckie

[demnan]

4. I've noticed that they have those interlocking carpet tiles

that you can install easily yourself, when one is damaged you can throw it away and buy a new one. You might look into something like that, especially if you'd like to do it inexpensively.

[babylonsister]

5. We installed ceramic tile

last spring throughout the house (replacing off-white wall-to-wall carpeting) and absolutely love it. Ours is the color of terra cotta, was very reasonable, goes with our eclectic mix of stuff and is easy to keep clean. We threw down a big rug in the living area. Living in TX, we enjoy the coolness of the tile, too, which might not work in CT in winter, but a big colorful rug would help.

[DebinTx]

6. I vote for ceramic tile

mainly because it will be much easier to deal with if the floor does get wet than even laminated wood floors. I have Bruce industrial wood floors in my home and while it handled an overflowing toilet well (it gushed for an hour before it was discovered), it still made me think about what a pain it would be if I had to pull up just part of the floor for replacement.
Also, if you have kids coming in from the backyard, you know they're going to track in mud and water.

[goddess40]

7. legato carpet tiles

I've seen them used on Trading Spaces. They don't use any type of adhesive and can be repositioned easily so you don't get traffic pattern. If you get an extra wet spot you can take them outside to dry.
Unfortunately, Home Depot is the only place that carries them (I think)and they support the Republicans big time. But then most companies do.

[molly]

10. Go to Home Depot - there are rubber elevated

squares that are made for those types of situations. I wish I could remember what they are called, but they are made specifically for basement projects such as yours. You then can lay pergo or anything on top. They interlock.

[Timefortruth]

11. Tile.

Saltillo Mexican tile looks nice and won't go out of style, but doesn't take a rug all that well. Slate, or a slate knock-off are also good choices and will take a rug. It isn't that hard to do yourself if you are a detail oriented person. You can rent a wet saw to cut the tiles at a tool rental place. If you go with the Mexican tile buy it already sealed.

Pergo will buckle in the temperature and moisture fluctuations, it also still looks like a laminate.

[bleedingheart]

14. I vote for Tile

it may be expensive but I know that I will replace my carpeting with it in the future because if it does get wet you can at least mop it up...and it does hold up better than carpet.

sorry but damp carpet over a period of time smells and can harbor mold.

You can always use an area rug if you choose.