We have a few basement flooring options depending on what you need, whether just a dust proofing solution or decorative. Let’s take a look at a few basement flooring options.
First let’s assume that moisture is on the low side. By this I mean you don’t have excessive moisture pressure pushing upwards underneath your concrete. All basements have some moisture. In warm months it’s more extreme than in fall, winter or early spring.
I run my dehumidifier constantly during the summer. It’s typical that I get 4-5 gallons of water per day dropping to 1 Gallon of water per month in winter. Fortunately the moisture wicks through the walls not my floor.
However some basements have moisture that travels under your concrete floor and pushes upwards through tiny airholes in concrete. This is called moisture vapor. In extreme situations it’s enough moisture vapor to cause sealers and coatings to delaminate.
If you have perpetual dusting on the floor, that’s from moisture vapor pushing salts in concrete upwards. The easiest test to determine if moisture is excessive is to tape plastic on the floor in 3 foot squares. If after 72 hours you have moisture droplets, then you have an extreme moisture situation and need a topical epoxy moisture barrier.
Metrocrete Basement Flooring Options
- Water Based Epoxy- this is a 45% solids water based epoxy that comes in gray, red, beige colors. You can add color chips then apply a water based Urethane. To save a little money you can omit the Urethane and apply wax coats for protection and a slight gloss. The System – 2 Coats of MC015 Water based epoxy, 1 Coat of Water based Urethane, 3 Wax Coats. Total Cost covering approximately 400SF is about $600.00 including tools. All you need is a drill with mixer, buckets, rollers and microfiber mop. Awesome system.
- Concrete Floor Paint – For a simple system you can apply 2 coats of our MC015 45% solids epoxy. Available in standard colors, just mix Part A and B, put in a paint tray and roll on. Cost per gallon is $79.75 and covers approximately 275 Square feet per gallon. You can also apply our wax coats available for $79.95 per gallon covers 500 SF with 3 coats. This is one of our most popular basement flooring options.
- Concrete Stain – This is one of the most cost effective decorative basement flooring options. Apply with pump sprayer mixed with water, earth tone stain colors. The stain will help harden the concrete (reduces dusting) then seal with clear water based epoxy MC015. This is a nice system creating a finished floor that looks like a decorative acid stain without the effort. Cost is approximately $170.00 plus tools. Add another $79.95 for wax and tools for about $275.00.
- Densifier- Densifiers can be sprayed on your concrete. Not a decorative solution, just clear for controlling the dusting on your floor. 5 Gallons $79.95
These are 3 basic basement flooring options that you can apply yourself over the weekend or hire a contractor. If you are considering basement flooring options, epoxy coatings, or a stain system is far superior than tile, hardwood or carpet. In fact, one of the best solutions is a coating first with area rugs placed on the floor. If the rug gets ruined, just roll up, discard and get a new one.
If you have questions about which basement flooring options to choose, give us a call or fill out the form to the right and we’ll get back to you.
Basement Flooring Options – Local Areas We Serve
We provide basement flooring options as well as garage floor solutions and industrial coatings. We can provide you with contractors as well. Our local distribution facility is in Pennsylvania with distribution throughout the east coast including Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Ohio, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. We do ship to all states throughout the country.
