ENHANCE YOUR BASEMENT FLOORS 
INSTEAD OF COVERING THEM UP

If you are a homeowner who has a full or partial basement, then you should be aware that realtors surveyed all agreed that you are you are essentially sitting on a goldmine of extra living space.  It has been proven that homes with finished basements sale quicker than homes with basements left unfinished.  What’s more is that if your family is in need of extra living space, finishing the basement is usually less expensive than adding another room or floor.

However, when most homeowners first tackle the prospects of finishing their basement, the question of how to cover the drab gray concrete floor is always a concern.  Many homeowners want a covering that is durable, resistant to moisture and is easy to maintain.  The answer is simple—concrete stain, or epoxy coating. 

If you are worried about the concrete floor being cold and damp, you can install in-floor radiant heat before your slab is poured.  However if the slab has already been poured, many in-floor radiant heating systems can be retrofitted into existing basements with the use of a self-leveling overlay. 

Before you start your basement-remodeling project, you must evaluate your basement for any moisture problem.  If you discover that you do have a problem with moisture, you must resolve it before installing any floor treatment.  This is especially critical if you decide to install carpeting, engineered, or laminated hardwood floor.  If your concrete slab is newly poured, then you must allowed it to cure for at a minimal of 30 days to allow moisture to evaporate from the slab before applying any decorative staining, epoxy coatings, or stamping. 

Testing for moisture is simple.  All you need to do is simply tape down a piece of plastic sheeting to the concrete floor, then using duct tape, seal the edges.  You want to leave the plastic in place for at least 24 hours.  If after that time, condensation forms under the plastic sheeting, this is an indication that you have a moisture problem and that you need to take measures to correct or repair the problem.   

Concrete epoxy coatings, stains, and other enhancements offer several benefits over carpeting, vinyl tile, and wood laminates such as extended life expectancy, and it’s resistance to water damage caused from broken pipes or seepage due to heavy rains.  In addition, if the unthinkable happens and the basement room floods, homeowners will save money simply because they do not have to rip out and replace the water-damaged flooring.  All the homeowner has to do is mop up the water, and remove any debris. 

In fact, the only required maintenance for decorative concrete is occasional sweeping and damp mopping and the resealing of the floor every other year or so depending on wear and traffic.  This easy of care is yet another great benefit of concrete enhancements. 

Possible the greatest benefit offered by concrete enhancements is that no other type of flooring option offers more decorative versatility.  Some of the options, which are ideal for basement floors, include stampable and self-leveling overlays, chemical stains, epoxy coatings, paints, and stenciling.  You can even expand this by combining several of these treatments to create a one-of-a-kind design scheme that is uniquely yours. 

Some combinations to consider would be perhaps staining the floor, then stenciling a colorful border or faux area rug on the floor.  Another idea would be to apply a stamped overlay.  Most homeowners do not realize that it’s possible to resurface and stamp most existing basement floors so that they resemble slate, stone, or even hardwood flooring.  If you want a beautiful marble floor, it’s possible with the use of concrete stains.  Stains can be used to create rich, variegated layers of translucent color.  When three or four different stain colors are used, you can create a beautiful three-dimensional effect that is the envy of all of your friends and neighbors.