Although some manufacturers sell engineered wood flooring that can go down over a concrete floor it s better to install this type of flooring over a subfloor.
Best flooring for concrete basement.
Manufactured in planks with interlocking edges basement suitable engineered wood flooring comes with a durable factory applied finish.
You can install vinyl planks on top of most existing floors including cement basement slabs and the planks are completely waterproof.
If you have a damp basement it is recommended to lay a vapor barrier between the concrete slab and the planks.
Flooring choices for basements.
Unlike exterior sealants that penetrate the concrete with uv protection while still allowing breathability interior types create a film over the top.
Many basement concrete slabs are cold underfoot especially during the winter.
Best flooring for concrete basement sealed and polished concrete make unsurpassed floors for your basement.
But that doesn t mean basements are trouble free.
This is a possible basement flooring project you can diy.
The best way to install ceramic tile in a basement is directly over a concrete slab.
Vinyl flooring comes in both sheet or tile plank form and there is a subtle difference.
If you use a plywood subfloor you risk the plywood warping if water does end up reaching it.
Vinyl won t transfer the cold from the concrete which will create a durable and comfortable basement flooring.
A concrete basement slab is porous and prone to moisture and water vapor migrating up through the slab.
In addition to its affordability vinyl flooring offers temperature benefits for basement installation.
Vinyl flooring also known as resilient flooring ranks with concrete and ceramic tile as one of the better basement flooring options.
For added protection even though ceramic holds up well against water you can install a water barrier layer between the subfloor and your tiles.
The planks themselves won t get damaged by moisture but mildew can grow on the bottom of them.
The best interior concrete sealer is a film forming sealant like epoxy or acrylic.
That leaves you a lot of basement flooring options such as ceramic tile engineered wood rubber and laminate flooring made with a moisture resistant plywood core.
Most types have a thickness of or less.
Engineered vinyl planks or tiles so first let me say that engineered vinyl planks are usually my first choice flooring for basements because it looks like hardwood flooring and it s waterproof.
If the concrete subfloor is always dry however laminate floors can be placed directly on the slab.
First vpf and vtf are impervious to liquid and vapor moisture.