Is Sheet Vinyl Flooring Appropriate Over A Damp Basement Floor

A concrete floor seems like the perfect base for a vinyl floor installation.

Is sheet vinyl flooring appropriate over a damp basement floor.

10 reasons vinyl flooring is the best for concrete slab basements you ve decided to give your basement a makeover and you need to find a cheap and waterproof alternative to your boring cold concrete floor. Suitable vinyl flooring for basements pretty much includes all vinyl flooring but if you re looking for a floating floor that requires no adhesive and goes directly over concrete two options stand out. Types of vinyl for basement flooring. Water damage problems may not be as common with sheet vinyl flooring as some other flooring products but they do happen.

Sheet vinyl and planks. Sheet vinyl is waterproof and its a nearly seamless impervious surface is helpful for areas that get damp. Find waterproof options for flood zones and wet damp or uneven rooms. The entire layer of flooring is entirely waterproof including the core making this a much better flooring for wet areas than plastic laminate flooring.

For installation of vinyl flooring you need a smooth even surface for the underside of the flooring to achieve the best contact for adhesion. Homeadvisor s best basement flooring guide examines the best carpet and tiles concrete sealer and vinyl plank floor covering for your basement. Luxury vinyl tile is the newest floating floor option that has dramatically grown in both popularity and appreciation over the last several years. Vinyl flooring can either be glued to the subfloor or it can float on top of it and either way moisture underneath it causes problems.

The fact that these are planks instead of sheet vinyl is beneficial too. Water damaged vinyl flooring problems are more common over concrete than with vinyl floors installed over wood substrates. Unlike sheet vinyl flooring luxury vinyl tile comes in planks like real wood flooring and has a near identical appearance and texture to traditional hardwood and engineered flooring. Luxury vinyl ranks slightly behind sheet vinyl and ceramic tile because the seams between planks do sometimes allow water to seep to the subfloor especially if the installation is less than perfect.

It does require floor prep to smooth the floor otherwise the surface of the sub floor will telegraph through within 6 months. A concrete floor with a too high moisture content can wreak havoc on a vinyl floor. Sheet vinyl is a bit dated and looks cheaper so it s not the most people s first choice. Vinyl planks can withstand damp concrete basement floors and look gorgeous at the same time.

One issue with basement floors is that they can be cold to. If you have a regular wet area on your floor a big room sized sheet would have to be pulled up and rolled back to the spot so you could clean under it then re glued.