A basement does not need to have a really horribly looking flooring. It can have carpets but the big problem is preventing the damp floors to ruin it. The same thing goes for other finished flooring options. It is always a good idea to install polyethylene that is dimpled in order to create air space between your finished floor and concrete. Dampness would thus be sealed off and moisture would not dissipate when that is your setup. If you fail at properly installing carpet in the basement, you end up needing carpet cleaning services or you might even have to throw away the carpet.
Before you will lay your carpet pad or a wood subfloor, you will need to install vapor barrier so that you can have a fully mold free basement floor.
If there is persistent moisture present, it will let mold get a hold of the flooring that is made out of wood and will ruin carpets really fast. You should assume that your concrete floor will end up being damp in the future. There are two options that you can consider. Both of them will use half inch plywood carpet and carpet pads. The only difference stands in the initial layer that you add.
The first option is to use a layer of plastic that is 6 mm and that can minimize moisture to reach plywood. The second option is suitable for concrete as there is a higher risk of ending up with dampness. In this case the first layer will be a high density sheet of polyethylene that utilizes 3/8 in in height in order to create a moisture barrier and air space between plywood and concrete.
The first mentioned sheet (any of the options) is laid on concrete flooring. Then, adjacent edges are overlapped and seams are taped. Plywood layers are added on top and anchored to concrete with the use of concrete screws. Make sure they are countersunk and predrilled. You need 15 of them for a sheet of 4X8 feet.
You can purchase dimpled polyethylene underlayment from flooring supplies, on the internet and from home centers.
Be sure that you talk with your building inspector before you start the modification in order to make sure that you respect local building codes. The basement floor always needs to be level and you have to keep in mind that the floor will be raised by 1 and a half inches. You have to be sure that this height addition will not be a problem.
Before you start the project, make sure that you have the following tools:
- Circular saw
- Hammer
- Cordless drill
Required Materials:
- Dimpled polyethylene sheet of high density or 6 mil poly
- Plywood
- Concrete Screws
- Vapor barrier tape
