Best Basement Flooring Never Floods But Condensation
Quick Column Summary:
- Wood floor wanted for basement
- Current floor gets condensation in winter
- Consider vinyl tiles that look like wood
- They look great
Gordon Polson, from Mercer Island, Washington, is remodeling his basement. His wife wants a wood floor, but ... There's always a but:
"We're finishing our basement floors. My wife favors a wood floor. The floor never floods (we are on a hill), but in the winter the concrete floor is colder than the basement air and so any moisture in the air tends to condense on the floor. Even if a moisture barrier covered the concrete, moisture will find a way."
Gordon is a wise man to recognize the issues with wood and water.
Here's my advice:
Gordon, you may be able to please your wife because of significant advancements in technology.
I'd consider installing long rectangular vinyl floor tiles that look exactly like real plank wood flooring.
I've seen this material and when viewed in a room with furniture and a few area rugs around, it will fool 9 out of 10 people.
I suggest you purchase just one box of the material from a local stocking dealer and just lay it out on the floor in the basement as if you're installing it, stand back and gaze at it.
I guarantee you'll be Wowed!
Tim built custom homes and did ultra-custom remodeling for 20+ years before launching his Ask the Builder media presence. He was selected as one of the Big 50 by Remodeling magazine in 1993. This award gave birth to Ask the Builder in October 1993. Tim also operates https://DrawPlumbingPlans.com. His @askthebuilder YouTube channel was the first home improvement channel on YouTube.