Flooring can add to the function of your newly finished basement, or it can take it away. Installing the wrong type of flooring material in a below-grade space could leave you open to costly water damage or even the growth of mold and bacteria. Even the best-built basements are sometimes prone to invasion by moisture seeping through concrete walls or up through subfloor materials. This is why it's vital to choose flooring that's specifically designed for below-grade use. If you want a finished basement that's attractive and functional, as well as one that won't require constant maintenance, opt for easy-care materials like those listed below.
Epoxy flooring is a mixture of resin with hardeners added. And if you've ever shopped the local food warehouse or super home store, you've likely seen epoxy flooring. Sleek and exceptionally glossy, epoxy can be applied with rollers over the course of a single weekend, giving you an attractive basement floor that's nearly impervious to damage. It's available in a full range of colors, as well.
Another easy flooring option for your new basement involves concrete that's been poured and smoothed with a rake and a squeegee. Afterward, the concrete can be stained or painted any color you desire. It can even be stamped to resemble other materials such as natural stone, brick or tile.
Laminate is a type of flooring that's installed as planks or tiles. It's a manufactured type of flooring that's extremely durable and can mimic the look and feel of hardwood at a fraction of the cost and without the worry of warping should it happen to get wet. Because it's installed in pieces as a floating floor, laminate is easy to repair if a section becomes damaged. Simply pop out the bad plank and replace it with a new one. This may mean removing part of the floor to get to the piece that's damaged, but there's no adhesive involved with laminate, so putting everything back is an easy fix.
Rubber flooring comes in multiple variations, including tiles and rolls. Either is good for basement flooring, but tiles are easy to replace should the need arise. Rubber is super easy to install, and it adds soft comfort to your below-grade space. It's also a great insulator. This translates into a lower utility bill each month. Residential-grade rubber flooring may be comparable in price, however, to other high-end flooring options such as natural stone.
These flooring options are all easy to install yourself, but if you doubt your DIY skills, your local contractor will be happy to help. Your newly finished basement can be a reality this year if you make savvy choices from the floor up.
Susan Shuxian Hu has been a dedicated realtor serving in Silicon Valley since 2010. With great passion, outstanding negotiation skills and due diligence, she has helped many buyers and sellers in their real estate needs. Living in West San Jose for more than 14 years, she has broad knowledge in Cupertino, West San Jose, Los Altos and Saratoga. She has enormous patience working with buyers and never tired of showing all possible properties that may fit client’s needs. Clients appreciate her best service to their satisfaction. She specialized in luxurious real estate purchase in Los Altos, Cupertino, Saratoga and Palo Alto. She also helped friend and past client’s referral working in San Francisco, Foster City and far reached Bay Area.
Susan Shuxian Hu was graduated in East China Normal University in Shanghai with bachelor and master degrees in Bio science. She came to US in 1989 and earned her Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics in Texas A&M University in 1996. After one year of postdoc in Southern Florida University in Tampa, she moved back to Orlando with her family and started working in Lucent Technologies. In 2002, Susan moved to California, Silicon Valley joined a start-up company. Since then she worked in high tech Corporation till 2009. Driven by her dream job pursuing, she found her passion working in sales by helping people in real estate after one year of education in De Anza business and real estate law study. Since then, she has been serving many people in Bay Area for their real estate needs.
With bilingual advantage, she has been actively working with Chinese immigrants as well as local engineers and residents. With rich high tech background and connection with Chinese community, Susan has served in luxurious real estate in last a couple of years.