Print

[MerrellRoofing]

Getting ready to pick out flooring for my basement. Wondering what other people have used and had good luck with. Also wondering what people had bad luck with. Willing to listen to any and all opinions. Thanks

[slimjim]

I'm not a flooring guy but I would not use anything that is an insulator,is it an existing finished slab, perhaps treating it with a sealer/paint and using some throw rugs for the places you want it cushy

[AirForcePOL]

Not really sure what you're looking for but I helped a friend stain his basement floor and it turned out great!  I don't think it cost him too much either. 

[hoardac]

I have radiant through out my house tile is the best in the cellar in my opinion. I have slate, porcelain and some cheap ceramic they all work well. But I also have engineered hardwood flooring upstairs and marble that also works well. Did some research and the best option for radiant floors in wood was engineered hardwood looks real nice and so far holding up well with no problems

[schoppy]

My research agrees with hoardac. I have radiant floor heat upstairs (gypcrete) for an addition we put on for my disabled son. We used tile for high traffic areas and the bathroom and engineered hardwood flooring for his bedroom. We were able to find the flooring the same thickness (with pad) as the tile so the edges where they meet was a level transition. Our engineered flooring is snap lock and with the best pad we could get it feels and sounds just like 3/4" solid hardwood flooring. The pad is only about 1/16"thick so you don't want to skimp on the pad. In the basement, for my sons exercise room, we used berber carpet and it has worked out very well. Just let your supplier know what type of floor it is going over and they will  know what should and shouldn't work. We didn't have to coat or treat the floors with anything prior to installing the floor coverings. Good luck.

[mlappin]

Might look into a floating vinyl floor, might be considered somewhat of an insulator though as it has the pad build into the back of it. It’s exactly as it sounds, it floats, you don’t fasten it down except where heavy appliances sit and then you use double sided tape on the back so it doesn’t wrinkle when you move the appliance.

We installed it in the kitchen when I remodeled that, everyone who was seen it so far thinks it a real hardwood floor as its textured, you can actually feel the “grain” with your hand or walking on it with bare feet.

I installed it as a temporary floor until I could jack the south wall up and replace the foundation so the floor would be level where the kitchen table sits, had a slight drop from the basement wall to the south outer wall, crawl space under the kitchen table. Was going to install the engineered hardwood floor after I fixed the foundation a few years ago but the wife won’t let me as she likes the vinyl floor too much.

[MerrellRoofing]

I was going to use the vinyl stuff. Then I found that it is not heat rated and it will hold the heat down.

I'm all for the paint/stain idea but I gotta get it by the wife.

She doesn't like tile but she may have to learn to like it.

She is opening a preschool down there and wants it to look good of course. I just want something that will work and allow the heat to come thru. Problem is she is a visual person, she wants to see it. And I don't know anyone with stained concrete floor. I'm ok with the engineered floor but with the padding it seems like that would be an insulator.

[Cabo]

Take a look online Merrell for some ideas on concrete stains, epoxy finishes or even polishing.  There are so great/wild options for finishing a concrete floor.  I wouldn't worry too much about using vinyl tiles or engineered flooring and insulating the heat down.  I have many projects with that application and no issues.  As someone else said if designing from scratch let the person specing the heat know what your floor coverings will be.  Even if carpet is installed you should have some adjustment in your water temp to compensate.