Below Grade Flooring Options

Since flooring experts generally recommend against installing traditional strip or plank hardwoods below grade the six best options for basement flooring over concrete are.

Below grade flooring options.

Ceramic or porcelain tile is an excellent flooring choice for the basement. Until the advent of engineered hardwood flooring few builders or remodelers would recommend or risk installing a hardwood floor over a below grade concrete surface. Below grade flooring does not refer to cheap sub standard flooring. Click together tiles and planks are diy friendly and easy to install as a floating floor system.

Commonly used by contractors and builders the word grade is another term for ground level. And mackmiller says read the manufacturer s instructions carefully. For all of those reasons it limits the choices of floors that will work. Is it below on or above grade.

It s impervious to water and it will dry in the event you experience flooding. Because solid wood changes dimensions with fluctuations in temperature and humidity the chances of warping and cracking were too great. Everything above grade is safe from water vapor migration. Below grade flooring basics.

Make sure to choose a flooring that is rated for installation over below grade concrete. Check to make sure the type you choose is rated for below grade basements. It won t rot mold or mildew. Above grade flooring is safe too from most normal instances of flooding.

The 10 best basement flooring options. Engineered wood flooring gives you the warmth and beauty of real wood with the stability and moisture resistance of laminate construction. Basements are susceptible to ground moisture so your flooring choice may be different for a bedroom on the second or third floor. Here we present you with four good options for below grade flooring.

Whether you are looking at rigid core luxury vinyl tile vinyl sheet or engineered tile you will have no problems finding a flooring option that can withstand potential basement moisture. Most basements are below grade meaning that that they are below or partially below the ground level and most on built on a concrete slab and to top it all off the majority are uneven.