Fooring Options for Walk Out Basement?

11 years ago

Hello,

We are looking at a ranch with a walk out basement. The whole house is carpeted. I happen not to like carpeting, and would love to replace it with hardwood floors. Can hardwood be installed on the lower level? I assume that there is concrete under the carpeting. If installing hardwood over concrete is a problem, are there other options besides tile?

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Comments (6)

virgilcarter
11 years ago
It all depends on the type of wood flooring you desire. For example, there is actual wood flooring, engineered wood flooring and laminate.

And it also depends on the level and quality of your concrete slab. Cracks and settling may require remedial treatment, such a patching and leveling.

For real solid wood flooring, a poly sheet will need to be installed over the concrete slab, followed by 3/4" plywood sheets, screwed into the slab. Once those are installed, the woor flooring may be installed.

Overall height of this installation is approximately 1 1/4'-1 1/2", depending on flooring, so in all likelihood all of your trim and doors will have to be adjuste to reflect the new floor height.

Installing engineered wood and laminate flooring is simpler.

Good luck on your project.
worthy
11 years ago
The recommended underlayment for basement flooring is adimpled polyethylene barrier (such as Delta FL) or a layer of extruded polystyrene (XPS), as in the illustration below from Building Science Corp./US Department of Energy. Systems of interlocking wood with dimpled polyethylene or XPS attached are also available.

To the extent a polyethylene vapour barrier stops moisture, it leaves it trapped to feed mould growth.

This post was edited by worthy on Sun, Mar 10, 13 at 15:25
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worthy
11 years ago
In any case, hardwood is a delicate proposition below grade; moisture will expand it and if it is adhered with nails they will protrude into the concrete, transmitting cold and moisture, unless the ply underlay is doubled up. That adds to cost and cuts headroom. There is a double-sided tape that may solve the problem. (I haven't used it.) Or you can use engineered hardwood and avoid these potential problems.

I prefer tile and stone for basement floors.
cathleen_ni_houlihan
Original Author
11 years ago
Awesome answers! Thanks so much for your help.
ermachef
11 years ago
To use vinyl on a concrete basement floor, how do you prepare the concrete and does anyone know how to keep the vinyl warm?
zagut
11 years ago
Look into some of the tiles that look like wood.

Some of them look nice and if moisture is an issue it's a good way to go.

Don't assume.

Find out what you have to work with.

You'll need to know eventually.