By sunny 
In the United States, the basement of many houses is initially unfinished concrete rough state. Because the concrete itself has moisture absorption, like a water-absorbing sponge, so in the basement renovation, the choice of floor covering materials is particularly important, especially the basement floor, can not be directly used upstairs commonly used wood flooring installation.
Recommended laying materials for basement flooring: carpet
When laying wood flooring upstairs, the commonly used method is to nail or glue the fixing, and nailing is more common. However, this method will let the wood floor and the floor to form a multi-point connection, when the floor due to humidity changes, it is easy to buckle phenomenon. However, under the floor is usually air circulation, moisture is not easy to accumulate, so as long as not long immersed in water, buckling problem is not common.
But basements are a different story. The basement floor is like a moisture-absorbing sponge, always in a wet state, as if the floor is always filled with water vapour underneath. When wood flooring is installed in such an environment, warping is often a problem within a month or two.
For this reason, many basements in the United States choose to lay carpet as a floor covering. Not only is carpet affordable and comfortable to step on, but it is also breathable, allowing moisture to pass through and escape into the air. However, carpet also has an obvious drawback – it gets dirty easily.
Testing the cleaning ability of carpets
The engineer responsible for this test currently works for an industry-leading hoover manufacturer, specialising in design work. Carpet cleaning ability is an important metric when evaluating the performance of a hoover. In order to accurately test this metric, they devised a rigorous process:
- A fixed-sized area of carpet, larger than the width of the hoover’s brush but less than twice as wide, is marked out.
- A dust mixture of quartz sand, lime powder, etc., in various particle sizes, is spread over the area.
- A roller is repeatedly run over the dusted area to simulate people stepping on the carpet and to ensure that the dust penetrates deep into the roots of the carpet fibres.
- The hoover repeatedly vacuumed the area for eight round trips at a fixed speed.
- The mass of dust drawn into the dust cup is measured and divided by the mass of dust spread to give a ratio of cleaning efficiency.
This test process is repeated on four different lengths of carpet and the geometric mean is taken as the hoover’s dusting efficiency on the carpet. The results show that the best performing home hoovers on the market today are only able to achieve a carpet dusting efficiency of around 40 per cent. For cordless hoover versions, this efficiency value is even lower. Even the highly regarded Sam brand of hoovers does not perform as well in this metric.
What’s even more shocking is that not only does the hoover need to vacuum back and forth across each carpet for eight round trips during the ASTM standard test procedure, but it also advances at an extremely slow rate. Such speeds are nearly impossible to achieve in actual home cleaning. As a result, the actual level of soiling in the carpet is often worse than the test results.
Other Finishing Options for Basement Floors
If a basement is not carpeted, what are the other options? Here are a few common basement floor finish options:
Option 1: Tile
Tile is excellent for waterproofing, comes in a variety of styles, and is easy to install. But it also has an obvious drawback – it’s cold and hard. In winter, bare feet will feel uncomfortable, and if there are children, a fall will also be very painful.
Option 2: composite flooring
This type of flooring also has a variety of styles and simple installation, but the texture is still hard and cold. However, it may be slightly better than tiles in terms of hardness.
Option 3: the use of keel installation of solid wood flooring
Solid wood flooring itself has many advantages, but the installation process is relatively complex, you need to first hit the keel to prevent moisture collection. However, there are also many disadvantages to this approach: it is expensive and involves a lot of labour costs; the height of basement floors in the US usually does not meet this requirement; and the design of doors and stairs, for example, may not be able to accommodate the keel.
Therefore, if you intend to use this option, you need to communicate with the builder when you lay the foundation of the new house. At the same time, ventilation should be maintained underneath the keel, and space should be reserved for protection against rodents and pests.
Option 4: floating way to install engineered wood flooring
engineered wood flooring is not solid wood, but the use of laminated wood flooring, the edge of the design into the shape of a hook, so that the two pieces of flooring can bite each other. Installation, need to be laid under the floor moisture barrier mat, and in the wall at the root of the reserved expansion joints to ensure that the floor can be free of thermal expansion and contraction and smooth sliding on the mat.
However, there are some problems with this approach: a person may feel a slight sliding of the floor when walking, causing discomfort; the top layer of laminated wood flooring is wood and the layers are glued together, which may be a consideration for some people.
Affordable, beautiful and durable basement flooring solutions
For a more affordable solution that is also beautiful and durable, tile or laminate flooring can be a good basement flooring option. In areas where you want to add a cosy ambience, such as a corner of the living room or a bedroom, you can lay small rugs that are both practical and aesthetically pleasing.
In addition, the carpet can be easily kept clean by regularly turning it over and patting it down, thus breaking the stereotype that carpets get dirty easily. Of course, if you’re a fan of wooden floors, you can opt for a professional flooring installation service to ensure that you don’t feel the floor sliding slightly when you walk on it.
Floor Decorating Options for Other Living Rooms
Above we have described the materials that can be laid on the basement floor. The same careful consideration needs to be given to the floor covering options for other living rooms. Next, we’ll talk about that.
The experts remind you that whether you want to put flooring in a detached house or a flat, the budget is the most important factor to consider. Secondly, only then can you choose the most suitable material that fits your budget.
Living room
Living rooms are generally best with solid wood flooring. There are two types of solid wood flooring: pre-finished and unfinished, and homeowners who want to personalise their flooring will usually choose unfinished and then stain and wax it themselves.
Bedrooms
The choice of floor covering for bedrooms is basically the same as for living rooms, and it’s best to choose a type of flooring that will be in keeping with the tone of the interior. However, if you need to lay planks wider than 5 inches, experts recommend choosing engineered wood, as it will be stronger and more durable.
Kitchen
Consumers are still hesitant to lay solid wood flooring in the kitchen because most will consider the water issue. However, experts say that solid wood flooring in the kitchen is not a bad idea and recommend choosing pre-finished solid wood, which can withstand some splashing.
Stairs
If you’re interested in a solid wood staircase, don’t be surprised by its high price tag. This is because solid wood staircases are very time consuming to lay and cost an average of $100 to $200 per step. Experts recommend going with a mix of veneer plus solid wood.
Hallways
Hallways are generally heavily used areas of your house, so if you go with solid wood flooring, it’s a good idea to put a rug on top. But don’t forget to go for a non-rubber texture, as any rubber-type mats will leave a mark on the floor.
Bathrooms
Generally speaking, solid wood flooring in bathrooms is not very suitable as it will come into contact with a lot of water. If you must lay it, try it in a powder room.
When considering decorative flooring options, whether it’s basement flooring or flooring in another living room, you need to make a decision based on practicality and personal preference. Hopefully, the information in this article will provide you with some useful references.