All-weather carpet, luxury vinyl flooring and porcelain or ceramic tiles are some of the best flooring options to go over concrete in basements.
Interlocking rubber tiles are easy for homeowners to install, they can go down directly over concrete or over a subfloor. The same goes for rubber sheet flooring. Both materials are available with different textured patterns, and in a limited range of colors.
As you don't have to install underlay for Vinyl Flooring or LVT, this can go directly onto the concrete subfloor. However, allow 24 hours for your flooring to acclimatise by leaving it out of its packaging. When it's ready, unroll your vinyl flooring and cut to size after measuring your room.
Click vinyl flooring uses planks or tiles that can be snapped together in place with a click-lock system that holds them together. They are usually laid without glue. Glued down or floating LVT both work well with concrete subfloors.
Typically, moisture barriers are needed when vinyl flooring is installed on top of a concrete subfloor or crawl space.
Common Question #1 – Do vinyl floors need underlayment? Short answer is no, vinyl flooring itself does not necessarily need underlayment, however it may need depending on the acoustic requirements of the building.
Underlayment provides the necessary stability and support for the floor to float and helps with noise reduction and cushioning. The underlayment that we used also provides moisture protection (which is important on a concrete subfloor) and offers constant air movement to help inhibit mold and bacteria growth.
Felt and cork are the two best underlayment materials for providing sound insulation.
While costs are similar, the value of premium vinyl far exceeds that of laminate based on quality and value. Unlike laminate, premium vinyl is durable and stable, resistant to moisture and climate, and is easy to install and maintain. Laminate is restricted to light traffic and low moisture applications.
While a subfloor is not necessary to add structural strength when you'll be laying finish flooring on top of a concrete slab (as in a basement remodel), subflooring over concrete offers two other advantages: Dampness control. Install a vapor barrier of plastic sheeting before laying the subfloor.
Both solid wood flooring and engineered wood flooring can be laid onto a concrete subfloor. The installation process is slightly different for each, but by following the correct steps it can be done without any problems.
Concrete Resurfacing
After ensuring the existing concrete slab is in good shape, contractors will add a thin layer of concrete—either over top of or combined with a bonding agent—to level out the surface.
You can scrape off dried-on gunk, fill cracks, change the color—and even add patterns! The bottom line: If you have concrete floors in your basement, garage, or screened-in patio, you don't have to live with lackluster. You can refresh the entire space by painting your concrete floors.
Paint – Paint is another material that has no natural bonding agents, so concrete generally won't stick to it very well. Oil – Oil or oiled surfaces are often used to make the surface resistant to concrete bonding. Glue. Mortar.
Yes, and that's one of the questions we hear most often is about luxury vinyl plank (LVP). Most homes in Florida don't have basements so, rather than an actual concrete subfloor, the concrete is a slab-on-grade, meaning no basement floors and no walls. The slab needs to be free of debris, as dry as possible and level.
If you are installing your vinyl plank flooring over a concrete subfloor, you may want to use an underlayment for three reasons. First, it will give you some added cushion to help make the floor softer to walk on. Second, you may want an extra vapor barrier above the subfloor to reduce any risk of moisture.