The basement of any home is very tricky to design or remodel. Being the first of contact with land, these floors naturally have their own issues. The major challenges with the basement floors are moisture retention plus fungal and mold attacks. Experts suggest to check the dryness of these floors before starting the flooring project. If the floors pose the issue of moisture retention then choosing vinyl floors is the smartest decision.
The unique characteristic features of vinyl makes it a matchless choice for basement flooring. Let’s check out the benefits of vinyl for the basement area:
Water proof nature of vinyl: Just like plastic, vinyl floors are manufactured to form an absolutely waterproof structure. This innate nature of vinyl makes it most suitable for basement in order to avoid moisture seeping and flooding problems.
Impermeable vinyl: Unlike tiles where water might seep down from the seams between the two tiles, vinyl floor form one big impermeable layer. This protective cover refrains any form of spilling in the sub floors thus saving the actual floor.
Vapour barrier guards: Another most important thing while installing is to apply vapour barrier guards on the assembly of floors and walls. This would prevent any kind of moisture damage in other parts of the floor installation.
Easy to install: Vinyl floors are very easy to install and can be laid directly on the sub floor. Least expensive for of it is the sheet and thus are most preferred. You can also use vinyl tiles which are a little more expensive than the sheet.
Drawbacks of vinyl as a basement flooring material:
VOC emission: Vinyl is manufactured in a way that it emits Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOC) at the time of installation. Through VOC released are very small in amount but it needs to be kept in mind while availing vinyl floors for basement. To get rid of these effects the place should be kept ventilated after the installation.
Low insulation property: Vinyl offers low insulation against the cold chill thrown by concrete slabs. So, keeping the basement warm is actually a task with vinyl as the flooring material. For this, one can insert a layer of foam and cork between the concrete floor and vinyl layer.
Padding problem: Since vinyl floors are thin, they don’t offer comfortable padding for the basement. Again adding a layer of cork would be the best way to create a comfortable, well padded flooring solution for the basement.
To sum up, debarring the small drawbacks, vinyl is voted as one of the most sought after materials for covering the basement. With limitless designs, you can actually create a stylish basement area for your home. So, if you are planning to renovate the basement or are in look out for a durable basement floor material then think of vinyl at the first place!
Sudershan Mahajan loves to write about Vinyl flooring material to help people choose best vinyl to your home and office in melbourne.