There are many homes that have basements especially in places where the climate is much colder. The floor in your basement is very significant to the finishing look for your basement. It is a project done when you are trying to remodel your basement to possibly rent or fix up. However, if you are going to do this yourself, which is unadvisable, you should ensure that the underlying material on your basement floor has a moisture barrier. If you find that there is no moisture barrier under the concrete slab of your basement floor, then the levels of moisture will be very high.

You can check to see if you have any moisture barrier by cutting open some trash bags that you use to take out your garbage and put them in various places on the floor of your basement. You will then tape these down to the basement floor and let them sit there for a few days. After a few days, you will then remove the trash bags from your basement floor to see if the bags are wet on the side that was touching the basement floor. If that side of the trash bag is wet, then you don’t have a moisture barrier under the concrete slab of your basement floor. This means that to remodel your basement flooring with no moisture barrier underlying the floor, you have limited choices at this point.

You can increase your choices by putting a waterproof sealer on your basement floor and on the walls of the basement. You also have the option to install a French drain around the foundation of the basement. However, this can prove to be quite expensive because a lot of digging will be required as well as extensive installation of PVC pipes.

If you do not have a moisture barrier under the concrete slab of your basement, you also have a variety of choices. It may not be the ideal choice to remodel your basement floor with carpeting, but it is something that you can think about. Choose a carpet that is easy to install, durable and comfortable. Some experts think that Berber carpet is the ideal and of course, the most popular used. Before you put in the carpet padding, be sure to put a cellulose underlay on the concrete floor. Carpet, according to the carpet experts is a good way for you to absorb sounds coming from your basement such as when the furnace is turned on and off and when the water runs down the drainage system of your pipes.

If you are thinking of remodeling your basement floor, you can use engineered floors, which a lot of contractors use when constructing a basement. These kinds of flooring will stay on the top of the foam underlying your basement floor. The foam keeps the floor even out so that there will be a reduction in sound of footsteps, for example. It allows adequate moisture to come through because of its breathability. A few layers of wood are used for this type of flooring because it gives the floor stability and prevents it from twisting. The layer at the top has a very nice-looking veneer finish that makes it look like a solid wood floor without having to worry about damages caused by moisture levels that are high.

You can also laminate the floor of your basement using the same engineered flooring. However, you will find that wood base works better as well as a surface based on resin layer, which also looks like a hardwood or vinyl floor. You cannot use laminated flooring in basements that have high moisture levels. Any water contact will cause damage ot the flooring.

Ceramic tiles are ideal for basement flooring. However, the basement tends to be a cold area of the home and so the floor will be cold for bare feet. Before installing your ceramic tiles, you have to be certain that there are no moisture level problems. You also want to make sure that the floor of your basement is level before installing your ceramic tiles. You also want to make sure that any cracks that are on the floor are sealed prior to installing your ceramic tiles.

The cheapest way to remodel your basement floor is to pain it. Applying a few paint coats to the floor can make it look inviting. It will cost you less and save you time especially if you have high moisture level issues that are not easy to resolve. For more information please Visit: www.simplefloors.com