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jasper_60103

carpet for basement, any recommendations?

jasper_60103
18 years ago

I'm in the process of finishing my basement.

I'll have to select a carpet soon.

DW is leaning towards a berber.

Is this a good choice?

We're open to other ideas, suggestions.

thanks,

jasper

Comments (20)

  • LuAnn_in_PA
    18 years ago

    I personally do not like carpet for below-grade rooms... too much risk of damage, plus they often get musty.
    But, since that's what you want... berbers ARE nice for high-traffic areas.

  • krisz
    18 years ago

    I just did alot of research on flooring for my basement which every few years gets damp. I replaced wall to wall carpet with 3 ft. by 3 ft. carpet tiles. They are in a checkerboard pattern using 2 colors. There is no pad to mold and I bought extra tiles if needed for replacement. The floor is soft enough for my son to sit on and it looks great. For a room that is more likely to get damp, I got fiberfloor. We had carpet in the basement for years and except for the damp issues every 5 years or so had no problem with it. Think about how you expect to use the room
    krisz

  • jasper_60103
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks all for the feedback. I'll have to give some
    thought about carpet tiles. I can definitely see an advantage there. thanks,
    jasper

  • skatermom
    18 years ago

    Since my kids like to have sleepovers, we did tile in the high traffic and bar area, then a realitvely cheap but super thick carpet and a great pad for comfort while sleeping and watching movies. I would do the same all over again.

  • jasper_60103
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    For those who did the carpet tiles in the basement. Just curious, what did you do for the stairs?

    jasper

  • potterhead2
    18 years ago

    We also did the carpet tiles (Tesserae by Millikan) and think they're great. Most people are surprised that there is no separate pad underneath, it's very soft and comfortable. They were not inexpensive however. We paid as much as a good quality carpet, however you save by DIY and no pad.
    We sanded and stained the stairs.

  • catslikemice
    18 years ago

    We put in a low pile commercial grade berber in a dark brown with a pattern. It's survived a few instances of water due to eavestroughs being plugged by huge and beautiful maple tree in back yard. We just kick the dehumidifiers on high (we have two as we live in a long ranch house with a full basement 2500 up and down...need a dehumidifier on both ends of house!) and get the fans running and get that water out asap. When installing the carpet we knew water at times could be an issue and this is what our very experiences carpet people recommended.

    V

  • krisz
    18 years ago

    jasper, I have carpet on my stairs. Didn't want the noise from running up and down wooden ones. It's the carpet I already had there but is neutral and blends nicely with the the carpet tiles. My carpet tiles were a close out deal and much cheaper than the fiberfloor or wall to wall capet. They are warm underfoot and soft enough to sit on the floor although not as soft as carpet with pad under it.

  • jasper_60103
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks everyone again for the ideas. I'll be shopping for carpet this weekend.

    -jasper

  • drywall_diy_guy
    18 years ago

    You should consider installing dricore subfloor material underneath. The 2' by 2' interlocking squares are really easy to install and they will keep your carpet high and dry and warm. I have it under my carpet in my basement office and my carpet stays dry, warm, and free of any mustiness. Without this product or other subfloor you will probably get mold and mildew when it is humid. Go to the link below for more info.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Dricore Info

  • pamdoggie
    18 years ago

    I am looking into the same thing. I am getting padding that has an anti-microbial built into it to keep it from supporting mold or mildew, it has a double moisture block. I am on the fence as to olefin carpet that is very chemical-resistant in case you need to clean it with an aggressive cleaning solution (including bleach). and the P.E.T. (Recycled plastic bottles - same idea as the olefin) I think I am going with 100% P.E.T. one other thing is to make sure the entire carpet is constructed of synthetic products only, not a jute-backed carpet that would not hold up to moisture & chemicals.

  • mkkristen
    18 years ago

    That DriCore subflooring looks really good. I'm going to have to check it out in person and price it out. I am so glad that I came to this forum since I didn't even think about not getting a jute backed carpet! I'm so clueless when it comes to basement refinishing that I really need to research like crazy!

  • bcrawfo2
    18 years ago

    I started researching Dricore...it's about $1.50 a sq foot at Home Depot. There is a similar product called Delta-FL. It is the "rubber material in a roll or 4x8 sheets and you supply your own OSB/plywood. I've emailed a retailer on the internet for pricing.
    I'm interested in this solution for two reasons...warming up the basement (it's not real bad now and there's not even wall insultion up yet)...but more importantly to prevent problems from leaks in the neighboring utility room. Washing machine overflows usually flow directly into the area I'm concerned about.
    I'm not 100% sure if either Dricore or Delta-FL is really meant to handle this case. I can't guarantee that water in an emergency won't rise above the "rubber" feet...it is doubtful but I'd thather not spend all this money to prevent this problem and have to replace it if there is a light flood.
    Has anyone ever considered putting a "curb" around the utility room? Maybe a poly'd 2x4 (or 2x2) that is caulked to the floor? This could contain a lot of water until it was discovered and stopped.

    Other thoughts on this solution? (I'm going to research washing machine cutoffs).
    Any other opinions on Dricore/Delta-FL?

  • brickeyee
    18 years ago

    If you have a utility room already just caulk the bottom plate of the wall to the floor.

  • diveguy1
    18 years ago

    >> Has anyone ever considered putting a "curb" around the utility room? Maybe a poly'd 2x4 (or 2x2) that is caulked to the floor? This could contain a lot of water until it was discovered and stopped. Easier to just put in a floor drain.

    Bob

  • dominogold
    18 years ago

    Personally I HATE basement carpets without a pad underneath.

    If you have a flood or water problem, the problem with retention is going to be in the pad not the carpet. So get a good quality RUBBER pad one that doesn't absorb like the regular pad and it will be much better.

  • regina_4
    16 years ago

    I am in the finishing stages of refinishing my basement. I have always wanted carpeting but have lately been turned on to laminate...anyone have pros and cons for me?

  • tlavery
    16 years ago

    If it were me I would use these plastic tiles under whatever carpet you decide on. http://www.basementsystems.com/basement_waterproofing/basement_floor/

    If there is ANY chance there would be flooding I would also go with the carpet tiles. TRUST me I have had to take up an entire carpet and it is a pain in the butt! I would have loved to have had these tiles and carpet tiles instead of having to clean all the furniture out to clean up!

    Good luck.

  • dsma
    15 years ago

    **DO NOT EVER USE OSB BOARD AS A SUBFLOOR, ESPECIALLY IN A BASEMENT** IT NEVER STOPS OFF GASSING UREA FORMALDEHYDE. You don't typically get good air circulation in basements anyways. Doing that is the stupidest mistake you'll ever make. Just ask all those people that were removed from those FEMA trailers. And dont ever buy any boards from China. They have no restrictions.

  • hard-working
    13 years ago

    All these posts have been helpful, but I'm still uncertain about what pad and carpet is best for a typically damp cellar floor. I'm thinking there must be some sort of pad and carpet that allows the damp that is normal at the floor to lift through the pad and the carpet as the dehumidifier does its job down there. I hate the idea of nasty things building up under a water barrier like rubber. We have a clean, painted concrete floor. We have had no water down there ever but keep a dehumidifier going in summer to moderate the natural dampness of a cellar. We have had some rubber-backed, door mats down there. Moisture and mold or mildew built up beneath it, because there was no way for the usual cellar damp to get out. When we went to remove the mats we had a nasty clean up. The paint lifted with the moisture. Other areas of the cellar, without covering were kept dry by the dehumidifier and the paint is fine. Anybody found such a porous pad and rug that allows air flow?