Is your basement or garage exceptionally chilly’ An uninsulated concrete floor may be a large part of the problem. Insulating a concrete floor can save you money on your heating bill, making your garage or basement warmer and, by extension, the rest of your house. 

In addition to offering insulation and energy savings, the plywood subfloor described here can provide the perfect foundation for finish flooring such as carpet, adding warmth in look as well as in feel.  Read more »

When finishing your basement there needs to be a lot of time a thought spent on the design of your basement and what materials you are going to need.  Some of the essential materials for finishing a basement are insulation, waterproofing and flooring, amongst many other things.  Flooring isn’t just something that looks nice; it also has to be practical which is why you take particular care in looking for basement flooring options. Read more »

Basements are usually damp, dingy and musty areas. Unless yours is completely dry, year round, guaranteed, you should really consider only using temporary flooring solutions. When shopping for a basement floor covering, disregard expensive, permanent products because you will only come to grief at the first sign of mildew or mold, and wind up ripping the entire thing up and starting over. If you’re basment has problems with moisture, minimal or significant your best bet is to choose a flooring that can easily be replaced in sections. Read more »

To keep concrete floors warmer underfoot in winter, homeowners can install in-floor radiant heat before the slab is poured. Basements are one of the most popular areas to install these systems, which circulate heated water through polyethylene tubing. Some systems can also be retrofit into existing basements by covering the tubing with a self-leveling overlay.

Carpet is not recommended on basement floors
Thinking of installing carpeting over an uninsulated or unheated concrete slab? Don’t do it, says the Minnesota Department of Commerce Energy Information Center, because the carpet will be susceptible to mold and mildew. The basement floor is generally cooler than the basement air temperature, and installing carpet only lowers the temperature even more. If the basement humidity is high enough, the temperature of the floor under a carpet may, in certain areas, fall below the dew point of the air. Under this condition, a small amount of moisture will accumulate under the carpet, making conditions right for mold growth. The moisture formation may be so slight that you won’t see it from the top of the carpet. If the basement floor is already insulated or has under-floor heat, then carpeting or area rugs may work.

Some caveats: If you have a basement moisture problem, you need to resolve it before installing any floor treatment, especially carpeting. “Even newly placed concrete slabs should be allowed to cure for at least 30 days before decorative staining, coating, or stamping to permit moisture in the slab to evaporate,” says Henson. You can easily test for excess moisture by taping a piece of plastic sheeting to the concrete floor and sealing the edges with duct tape. Leave the plastic in place for 24 hours. If condensation accumulates beneath the plastic, then measures must be taken to alleviate the moisture problem.

Finishing a Basement Floor can seem like an daunting challenge with no good solutions. However; here are some Basement Flooring Options that are quick and easy to install and engineered to excel in an environment prone to dampness, mold or mildew. Choosing Basement Floor Tiles instead of traditional carpet, linoleum or ceramic tile has many advantages. Basement Floors come in a variety of flooring options such as wooden, carpet, rubber and tile to fit your Basement Floor needs. Whatever your Flooring in Basement needs require, you have found a solution that is high quality, comfortable, versatile, pleasing to the eye and will last for years to come.