Basement Flooring

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A basement can be an awesome place to retreat, or it can be a mere afterthought. In the past few years, families have taken a greater interest in basement areas. According to the National Association of Realtors, 81% of homeowners who’ve remodeled their basements say they enjoy their home more and have an increased desire to spend time in the basement. The icing on the cake is that remodeling a basement brings an estimated average of 70% ROI (return on investment).

One of the least expensive (but most noticeable) improvements you can make to your basement is to install great flooring. Flooring sets the tone for the room and adds value to your home as well. The type of basement flooring you select can make or break it though so choose carefully.

Once you’ve decided to spruce up or totally remodel your basement, you’ll want to decide what look and feel you want to accomplish for the room. Do you want it to be fun? Maybe relaxing? Or, you may want it to be luxurious, rustic, or modern. The choice is yours and your flooring will help you pull the vibe off.

The first step is to choose the type of flooring that suits your needs. Then, check out the options available in the line to bring your decorating vision full circle.

When it comes to flooring, basements have always needed their own special attention

Being a below-grade, subterranean space, basements are known to be prone to high levels of moisture and standing water. The threat of constant dampening or even flooding is always imminent. With this in mind, it is important to choose the right flooring material to alleviate these concerns.

Vinyl Flooring For Your Basement

Vinyl is perhaps the common choice for basement flooring for many reasons. Unlike materials such as regular hardwood, vinyl flooring does not expand, contract or shift due to humidity or temperature. It is also a great choice for basement flooring for the following reasons:

Versatility – It’s versatility makes it a great option for almost any room in your home. Whether it be in a living room with a large window that lets in the suns rays, or in the basement where moisture tends to build up
Water Resistant – It’s water resistant nature allows it to be immune to moisture and light water
Affordability – vinyl flooring is a cost-effective solution to your basement flooring problems
Options – planks, sheets, or luxury tiles, the choice is yours!

Types of Vinyl Flooring

If you’re like most homeowners, you want a mix of function and fashion when it comes to your flooring. There are three basic types of vinyl flooring. Each has elements of beauty and possess the benefits vinyl provide in basement flooring.

Luxury Vinyl

Far from your parent’s vinyl flooring, the latest type of vinyl flooring on the market, luxury vinyl (LV), excels in every way.

Luxury vinyl mimics stone, wood, and other natural materials to the point it’s hard to tell it’s not real until it comes to care, repair, and cleaning. Then you’ll know you have vinyl and…you’ll be glad you do. It restricts stains, moisture, and doesn’t damage easily. Luxury vinyl is, in short, like the “real deal” – only better!

Constructed of PVC, vinyl can be molded to exact specification. There are four layers built in for resilience, stability and flexibility. About 65% of the composition of LV is the base layer. Limestone is added to this layer for dent resistance and insulation. The visual layer is comprised of a realistic image which may be stone, hardwood, or even a pattern or geometric design. In recent years, this process has been perfected, making it near impossible to tell the difference between vinyl and the natural material it’s mimicking. The finish layer is a clear topcoat that consists of polyurethan aluminum oxide which is texturized to create the look and feel desired. This layer resists abrasions, stains, and wear and tear. It also wards off mold a mildew which is very important in a basement area. Grout is an optional addition to the mix. It’s not required for the installation but many homeowners choose to use it to make the tile or planks look more authentic.

The textures available are nothing short of amazing which one of the main features that sets the luxury line apart from yesterday’s versions.

You’ll have your choice between sheet vinyl, vinyl tile, and plank vinyl.

Vinyl Planks

Talk about looking like real solid wood flooring! Luxury Vinyl Planks (LVP) make it virtually impossible to tell if your flooring is made of genuine wood planks or vinyl planks. Available at a fraction of the cost of solid wood and much easier to care for, LVP are the way to go if you are wanting to establish a wood floor look.

Vinyl Tile

Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) is one of the most popular types of vinyl flooring on the market. It can be grouted to give it an authentic look, even if it’s installed by the floating floor method. Tiles are awesome for smaller basements where planks would look out of place. Today’s tiles come in all sizes and shapes and in styles from modern geometric designs to squares that look like wood or natural stone.

Sheet Vinyl

Sheet vinyl is your basic, standard vinyl flooring. It’s available in large rolls and is cut to fit your floor at the time of installation. It’s one solid sheet, making it ideal for basements because there’s less chance that it will be ruined by water seeping underneath it and the subfloor. Sheet vinyl is easy on the budget but is resilient and comes in a multitude of options that are perfect for your basement area.

Themes

Adding a theme to your basement’s décor is a great way to give the room character. What do you love? What is your family into? If gaming is high on the list, why not hang posters of some of your favorite games and characters? If the room will be used for the family to gather in, pick a wall and spice it up with fun photos of the family or pictures of vacations. Your choice in flooring should compliment the theme. If you’re going with primary colors, you can find a bright, bold geometric pattern in flooring to add some fun. The sky’s the limit, for sure.

Color Coordination

When it comes to matching or blending your basement décor with your flooring, there are a variety of ways you can go. If you’re using vinyl sheet rolls, many come in different colors and color combinations. Vinyl tile is notorious for offering a wide variety of geometric designed and shaped patterns with all sorts of color options. When going with wood, certain pairing choices look best. Light colored wood works well in modern and contemporary rooms. Dark wood is warm and inviting and when a roughed-up finish is used, it gives a rustic charm appearance. To pull off a traditional look and feel, go with oak, walnut, or cherry.

Textures

Textures have come a long way where vinyl flooring is concerned. You can find glossy, matte, satin, and distressed finishes on tile, sheet, and planks alike. There are tons of texture options such as smooth, embossed, ingrained, and textures that are just like the natural material they are mimicking like stone, granite, or marble.

Luxury Vinyl
Quadro
Luxury Vinyl
Mezzanine
Luxury Vinyl
Muzeo
Luxury Vinyl
SmartDrop Tile
Luxury Vinyl
SmartDrop Elite Tile
Luxury Vinyl
Connoisseur
Luxury Vinyl
Fuzion Dynamix XL Tile

Ideas for Your Basement’s Look and Feel

The “look and feel” of a room combines aesthetics with the mood you want to achieve. Begin by asking yourself, “Who will be using the space and what will it be used for?” Then, go from there to create your basement with a personal touch. From building a man cave or hobby room to making a cozy and comfy place to retreat, you can do just about anything you please with your basement space.

Some great choices include:

Just for Fun.

Do you want your basement to be a room for entertainment for the family? If so, liven the room up with some bright throw pillows and maybe a bean bag or two. Make sure your flooring is fun too like brightly colored or perhaps a light wood tone that makes the room light and airy. Don’t forget plenty of throw rugs in all your favorite colors and maybe you’ll even find one that matches your theme.

Bedroom.

Having a useable basement can give your family space to spread out big. What better way to use the area than to create an extra bedroom? Pick flooring that goes well with the colors, mood, and theme of the bedroom. You’ll not be lacking for choices.

Guest Room.

If you’re tired of your guests having to sleep on the floor, make your basement into a welcoming guest room. You can put a bed in the room or even a pullout sofa or futon. For a warm feel to the room, go with dark wood-look vinyl flooring or if your area is small, light will work well. Neutral tones are great choices for a guest room basement to accommodate male and females.

Billiards.

Everyone loves a great game of pool. Add in a foosball table and a few pinball machines and you’ve got yourself a billiards basement you won’t want to leave. If the room will have a lot of foot traffic, especially from kids and teens, take that into consideration when choosing your vinyl flooring.

Art Studio.

If you or someone in the family is into arts and crafts…boom! Turn your unused basement into a studio. Choose flooring without a lot of grooves that is easy to clean and that isn’t likely to show if paint gets splattered and can’t be wiped up completely.

Music Studio.

Whether it’s for playing musical instruments or listening to jams, a basement is the ideal place to turn the volume up without disturbing the rest of the family. Vinyl flooring with black and white tiles, interesting chevron designs, or geometric shapes is perfect for making a little noise.

Engineered Hardwood For Your Basement

Regular hardwood flooring doesn’t have a great reputation when it comes to rooms with high moisture. This is because they are known to expand, contract, and shift given prolonged exposure to temperature and humidity changes. Engineered hardwood flooring, on the other hand, can be installed almost anywhere.

If you’re looking for your home to have hardwood on every floor, engineered hardwood flooring is the go-to choice for your basement.

Impressively resistant to moisture
Since it can used almost anywhere, it is great for home owners who desire consistency and uniformity throughout their home – including the basement
Customized to your needs – variety of wood species, widths and finishes available
Red Oak, Hickory, and Brazilian Cherry are some of our most popular choices

Chevron
Purparket Chevron
Engineered Hardwood
Purparket Herringbone
Engineered Hardwood
Northernest Herringbone
Chevron
Fuzion Flooring Chevron
Engineered Hardwood
Vidar European White Oak 9″ & 10 1/4″
Engineered Hardwood
Fuzion Flooring Herringbone
Engineered Hardwood
Vidar Oak 8″
Engineered Hardwood
Vidar American Oak Herringbone

Things To Consider

Checking for moisture Before considering installing flooring in your basement, it’s important to do a test for moisture. One easy way to do so is by cutting a garbage bag and sealing all 4 sides with tape. After 2 days, if there is water buildup, you may have a moisture issue. If this is the case, it would be advised to address this issue prior to any installations. It is best advised to hire a professional to help seal leaks and eliminate moisture.
Subfloors: Subloor is an additional layer that goes under the floor, that helps with adding warmth and cushion. It’s especially recommended to add a subfloor layer to a basement flooring installation – particularly using a surface that is moisture resistant

Making Basement Flooring Practical & Stylish

Choosing flooring for basements is a typically more involved process than for any other space in the home, given the unique challenges and conditions that basements face. We can help simplify the process by guiding you through every consideration that you should keep in mind. Visit our GTA store to speak with our flooring experts, and discover a robust selection of chic flooring styles, perfect for the basement.