Flooring Choices for a Basement Remodel

Remodeling a basement opens up a whole new area of your home for playing, working out, relaxing or entertaining. Once you’ve decided on how you want to use the space, this opens up your choices for the rest of the room, including flooring.

Finding the right flooring can be tricky in a basement, a part of the house susceptible to moisture. Water can leach in through concrete floors, causing considerable damage if not treated properly. Condensation is another concern. Humid air sinks to the lowest part of the home, usually the basement. Once there, it comes in contact with cool surfaces, which creates condensation.

Prepping for renovations

Sealing your basement floor from water infiltration is essential to any basement remodel, especially homes that have ever had water leach into their basement. Next, look for cracks and sloping along the basement floor. Patch minor cracks and flaws with a concrete sealant. Low spots can be filled with a self-leveling compound found at home improvement stores.

Installing a subfloor is also an option. This separates the concrete slab from the flooring you install. Some subflooring is applied in liquid form, like a sealant. Others are wood platforms while others are as simple as moisture-resistant pads.

Consider concrete

If you are using the basement as a workshop or as a kids play area, consider keeping the concrete floor exposed. Slip-resistant paints are available for basement floors as low-cost as $30 per gallon. Epoxy coating systems are also available. These paints combine a solvent-based adhesive coating with decorative color chips. It is slip-resistant, lasts longer and is far tougher than a concrete paint or stain, but costs more.

Flooring for a full remodel

Most people looking to invest in remodeling and finishing a basement want to get rid of the basement feel that comes with concrete. With proper installation, the options for flooring are wide open.

Carpet makes a typically cold basement room feel warmer, while also providing some sound proofing. Wall-to-wall carpeting is relatively affordable and easy to install. Choosing a durable carpet, such as nylon, will help the carpet last for years.

If moisture is a concern, you can put a moisture-resistant pad under the carpet. While this tends to cost considerably more, there is value in protecting the carpet.

Ceramic tile is also a popular choice. It has a classic and clean look that can work with a number of different home styles. It doesn’t provide much in the way or warmth and can get slippery if wet, so a basement needs a good heating and dehumidifying system if you install a tile floor.

Vinyl flooring has long been an affordable and durable choice for basements. It can be rolled out in one large sheet and cut to fit, or smaller tiles can be installed by the homeowner. Vinyl comes in a wide range of colors and textures, including some that look like real stone tile. The trick with installing vinyl is that the floor must be completely level and smooth. Imperfections will show through and could damage the floor over time.

Engineered wood and laminate wood provide the hardwood floor option without the risk of damage from whatever moisture remains in the basement. Engineered wood has a thin layer of veneered hardwood on top of a plywood plank. Plywood is more flexible than hardwood, so it will not damage with shifts in temperature and humidity. Laminate flooring has a plastic resin on top of plywood and comes in planks or tiles that snap into place, making it easy to install yourself.

If you have questions about other kinds of flooring for basements, or are looking for a builder to work on your basement remodel, call Dube Plus Construction. 

Choosing Energy Efficient Windows for New Construction

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Homeowners want windows that are attractive, easy to clean, and above all, energy efficient. Windows are an expensive part of new home construction, so choosing the right one can sometimes be a stressful chore. It doesn’t have to be, if you have a few terms under your belt and know what each material delivers in quality and efficiency.

Window basics

The first thing you need to consider is what style of window you’re looking for. Double hung windows are by far the most common style, especially in New England’s older homes. With this style, both the upper and lower parts of the window open up or down for optimal ventilation. Single-hung windows are also available for a lower cost, but are limited in that only the lower half moves. The upper half is sealed to keep out the weather.

Casement windows are typically found in kitchens, bathrooms and more modern homes. These windows swing outward on a side hinge with a crank. They provide good ventilation, high efficiency and are easy to clean. Awning windows, similar to casement windows, swing outward on a hinge on the top. The benefit of awning windows is that they can remain open in rain and are also air tight.

Fixed windows are those that do not open, such as a picture or bay window. These too are come in a range of materials and energy efficiency ratings.

Energy efficiency terms decoded

When you start your shopping for windows, you’ll see lots of terms that are meant to help you select the best option, but can be confusing.

U-factor – How well the window can keep heat in your home. Also known as the U-value, it ranges from 0.2 to 1.2. The lower the number, the better.

Solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) – How well the window can block unwanted heat from the sun. Usually rated between 0 and 1, having a lower the number is better for homes in warm climates; a higher number is fine in cold areas.

Visible transmittance (VT) – How much visible light a window lets into the home. Rated between 0 and 1, the higher number means more light is let in.

Low-E coating – A transparent coating added to the windows to keep heat in or out. In warmer climates, it’s added to the outside and in colder climates, it’s added to the inside. Although it is transparent, any coating added to a window decreases visibility.

Double or triple glazing – These windows have a sealed space between two or three panes of glass that is filled with air or gas. The gas provides insulation, reducing noise significantly and heat loss. Double glazing is more common, but triple glazing provides more protection. The added cost of triple glazing is not usually justified except in areas that are extremely cold or are regularly subject to loud noise, like near an airport or interstate highway.

Materials matter

Wood is a popular choice for window frames because they are the most energy efficient. They also require the most upkeep. Homeowners will need to paint or stain the windows every few years, and in wet climates could be susceptible to rot. But in general, most wood windows last for many years.

Vinyl frames get a bad rap for their looks, but when it comes to value, a quality vinyl window is a good deal. It requires less upkeep than wood and a well-constructed vinyl window can provide great energy efficiency.

Aluminum frames are less energy efficient, since heat and cold transfer more easily through metal than wood or vinyl. They are a good choice in places that may sustain high winds, such as a beach-front home or in areas susceptible to hurricanes.

Wood-clad frames offer multiple benefits. With vinyl on the outside, they are low maintenance and with wood on the inside, they are energy efficient. For homes in wet climates, wood-clad isn’t the best choice. Water and moisture can get in between the vinyl and wood, causing the inside to rot. They are also tricky to install, increasing the likelihood of water damage to your home.