Question: Can You Install Hardwood Floor in a Basement?
Basements can be dreary, dingy places. So why not liven things up and install solid hardwood floor in your basement?
Answer: Basement floor installation is also known as below-grade installation ("grade" being ground-level). There is simply too much moisture present in basements to safely install solid hardwood flooring.
Moisture can come from two directions. First, the basement can flood--a common occurrence in some areas. Even a flood of a half-inch of water is still enough flood to ruin solid hardwood. Secondly, moisture will seep upward through the concrete in the form of vapor. Barriers can be installed to prevent this upward seepage, though they do not always do the trick.
While it's not advisable to install solid hardwood flooring in your basement, you do have two alternatives:
- Engineered Wood Flooring - a thin veneer of real hardwood sits on top of a plywood-type base. This plywood-like material holds shape much better in the presence of moisture.
- Laminate Floor - It's not wood, but it looks like wood. Much laminate flooring does not do very well with moisture. But it's possible to purchase moisture resistant laminate flooring
