The basement is one of the most important but often overlooked parts of a house. Usually relegated to a storage area and nothing more, the basement can actually be used for quite a number of things, and any other uses you may plan on putting your basement through will be an important factor in deciding what type of flooring you should use for it. Here are some of the most common and popular types of basement flooring used, and their purposes, and pros and cons.
Concrete - plain old concrete flooring is the most common thing you'll see in people's basements. This is for households that regard the basement as just a place to store stuff. Concrete flooring is best for basements that see a lot of traffic, with people hauling stuff to and from it. It is especially suitable for people who decided to set up a home workshop and plunked it in the basement, as the man of the house will often haul stuff to and from the basement to happily tinker, saw, hammer, and drill away. The punishement that raw concrete can take is best suited for this. The bad thing about plain old concrete is, of course, it's aesthetic value - or lack thereof.
Ceramic Tile - this is a good alternative to concrete, though ceramic tile isn't an option for basements that see a lot of hard, heavy stuff hauled to and from it on a regular basis. On the other hand, it's perfect for basements that housewives have gone and converted into a room for placing the washer and dryer machines. Moisture is a natural occurence in most basements due to the humidity of the air running beneath a house, so ceramic tile protects the floor from water damage.
Hardwood Laminate - this is the ideal flooring for basements that have been converted into another floor of the house. More often than not, this means that instead of a storage space, the basement has been turned into a game room, function room, library, music room, or whatever. Hardwood laminate is a warm and attractive flooring for these converted basements, but remember if you go with this option that these rooms need a good ventilation system because of the air moisture buildup that basements usually suffer from. If the basement remains closed off, the humidity will eventually damage the wood.
Thick Carpeting - this is the simplest way to dress up a basement. As mentioned earlier, concrete is the floor of choice for most people. Thick carpeting is not a good idea if the basement usually sees people hauling and dragging heavy objects across it's surface all the time. However, if the basement is often used for storing relatively small objects that don't need to be dragged along, carpeting is an option to soften the look of the basement. An air dehumidifier is needed for carpeted basements, however, because otherwise the basement's air moisture will cause mold build-ups in the carpet.
Rubber/Foam Mats - this is basically a cross between the ideas of using carpeting and ceramic tile. Unlike carpets, rubber mats have the twin advantages of being waterproof and won't really have any problems with mold build-up. It's biggest advantage however is it's noise insulating capability. This is often a good choice for busy basements which see a lot of activity and noise, as the mats will also act to dampen sounds coming from the basement. In tandem with this, the basement walls and ceiling can also be lined with acoustic insulating material to make sure that even working with power tools in the basement during the dead of the night won't wake up the rest of the household.
Radiant Heating - lastly, radiant heating panels are the ideal choice for houses in cold environments. These panels are sturdy, waterproof, and actually trap and hold heat, keeping houses warm even in the dead of winter. The biggest drawback to this type of flooring is it's inapplicability for houses in hotter environments, since basements are naturally hot and the trapped heat in basements is what causes the air humidity in them. This type of flooring would only amplify the problem in a house situated in, say, the tropics.
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Choosing The Perfect Basement Flooring
