What Type of Flooring Should I Use for a Basement Floor That Sweats?

Cork Floating Floors

• Floating floors do not have to be glued down, which allows the installer to spread an effective moisture barrier before laying them. In addition, higher-quality floating floors often include moisture protection built into every board. Such high-quality boards are nearly twice as thick as less expensive ones. The best choice for a moist subfloor is floating floorboard with a cork covering. This flooring is 5/8- to 3/4-inch thick and includes moisture protection, and the cork is capable of absorbing whatever moisture manages to seep through the moisture barrier, although that barrier should be as impermeable as possible.

Engineered Hardwood

• Solid hardwood isn't recommended for installations below ground level, but engineered hardwood planks are laminated and more resistant to buckling. Gluing engineered hardwood down may leave you with loose floorboards within a year or two after installation, but nailing the material to a plywood subfloor should give the floor an acceptable lifetime. This method works best if the plywood subfloor is constructed on a frame to raise it from the basement floor and if you lay two moisture barriers. One barrier should separate the basement floor from the plywood, and the other barrier should separate the plywood from the flooring.

Laying the Moisture Barrier

• An effective moisture barrier for a sweating basement floor is one that is impermeable to moisture and resists deterioration. Because plastic tends to deteriorate, roofing tar paper and vinyl sheeting are preferable to plastic sheeting. Individual sheets should overlap by several inches, and the barrier should extend up the wall by an inch or two. Cut the material flush with the surface of the floor covering after you lay the covering. If the basement floor is concrete, also spread a liquid moisture barrier, which is a thick paintlike mixture that you apply with a brush or roller.

Painting the Floor

• If your existing floor is concrete, greatly improve its appearance by painting it with concrete paint, which resists moisture well. First, make any needed repairs to the floor, such as filling cracks or gouges, and then prime the bare concrete. A high-quality primer helps to seal out moisture, and it provides better adhesion for the paint. Then, apply the concrete paint. A few well-placed rugs with underpadding will soften the starkness of the concrete floor and provide a warmer surface for bare feet. Frequently air out the rugs to prevent the growth of mold.