The Best Floors for A Flood-Prone Basement

The Best Floors for A Flood-Prone Basement

An evening rainstorm may create a soothing ambiance, but it can also herald something undesirable in tow: basement flooding. In fact, flooding can happen any time of the year when unusual weather patterns make the sky unload a deluge upon our property.

We see this all the time throughout Metro Vancouver. Whether it's where we are in Maple Ridge or out in Vancouver, Coquitlam, Surrey or Langley, there's always the threat of heavy rainfall. With that comes the threat of basement flooding.

If you are like most homeowners with a basement, you want to make the most of every square inch of your home. With a floor that is resilient to flooding mishaps, you can keep that game room or man cave in the basement without any worries about costly repairs.

Of all the flooring options for basements, synthetic materials are the best for your wallet to make sure you don?t have to buy new flooring every time the waters come.

There are numerous types of floors that are particularly good for reducing the impact of flooding incidents. We'll rank these in terms of Good, Better and Best for your basement:

Good

  • Carpet
  • Cork (doesn?t promote the growth of bacteria)
  • Concrete

Better

  • Laminate
  • Engineered Hardwood

Best

  • Tile (Porcelain, Luxury Vinyl Tile)
  • Pure Vinyls (not paper backed or felt backed)
  • Rubber
Let's go through some of these types of floors in detail. The more you know, the better for your basement.

Cost-Effective and Efficient: Concrete

Your first and cheapest option is to leave your basement?s floor unfinished. You can seal, paint, or stain your concrete foundation to give the floor a more attractive look. Overall this is the least complicated and troublesome way to confront a flooding problem.

When the waters rise, there isn?t any flooring for moisture to get stuck under, which decreases the chance of mold festering. Also, since there essentially is no floor on top of the concrete foundation, you don?t need to do any replacements or floor removal. Sealing your concrete foundation will resist more water.

Concrete can look plain. To add more of a design flair, you can opt to use area rugs or paint the concrete to make it resemble a stone floor.

Luxury for a Flood-Prone Basement: Ceramic Tile

A great investment that is not negatively affected by the occasional basement flooding is ceramic tiles. Though it is probably the most expensive of the materials you have to choose from due to the labor required to install them, they do look great and do well against basement flooding.

It is important to note, however, that you should know the source of your flooding before installing ceramic tiles. If the water comes from the ground-up, the water can loosen the tiles and result in a costly repair. Ceramic tiles hold up well against flooding that comes from above, not below.

An Affordable and Attractive Alternative: Vinyl

Since vinyl floors can come in planks or tiles and are not made of organic materials, they make great floors for basements that are prone to floods. Their photographic layer can replicate almost any look you want, from hardwoods to tile, so you won?t be missing the comfort of the hardwood look if you so desire.

Next to concrete, vinyl resists moisture well because it is entirely synthetic. They can also come in interlocking planks which make them easy to snap in place and take out in the event of a flood and you need to dry them out.

Soft on the Feet and Affordable: Rubber

This synthetic material provides two features that concrete, vinyl, and ceramic tiles do not: softness and warmth! With a rubber floor, you won?t need to add an area rug for comfort in the winter. This material is also a good safety feature if you have small children who are prone to falling while playing.

Rubber floors can be installed loosely with a removable adhesive so it can be spared entirely if a flood happens. All you will need to do is take the flooring outside to dry and reinstall it.

Rubber can come in large sheets or in tiles that easily snap together. The individual tiles make it easier to remove and put your floor back together in case of a flood but provide less protection.

The large sheets, on the other hand, provide more coverage but are more of a challenge to haul out and dry.

Things to keep in mind about floods and restoration

When your flooring experts come to your home to conduct an assessment and give you an estimate, they should check for pre-existing moisture issues. These issues must be corrected first. If there are issues with drainage, you won?t be able to install hardwood or vinyl.

When a flood happens, your insurance company typically will only insure your floors if you replace them with the same product or stain. You could say to the insurance company you still want to go a different route. However, this might mean that they will refuse to cover the costs.

Would you like to speak to an expert?

Do you have any questions about basement flooring or any other home improvement project? If so, please leave a comment below and one of our professional contractors would be happy to get in touch with you.

About Shawn Farina: Flooring Expert at Diverse Flooring

Shawn Farina operates Diverse Flooring, a family-run business in Maple Ridge, with his younger brother, Todd. He has been in the flooring industry for 18 years. Shawn is passionate about design and feels flooring has been a great avenue to help others make the best decisions for their homes.

When you come to Diverse Flooring, there's a strong chance the person you interact with is either Shawn or Todd. There is nothing better than dealing with the owners themselves.

Flooring is something we all will at one time or another have to purchase. It's really satisfying feeling to see when a client is truly happy with their choice in both the new flooring and our company.

Shawn Farina

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