Flooring Material Options for Flood-Prone Basements

5/21/2019 (Permalink)

Tile can be a good option for basement flooring.

If you get water in your finished basement during floods or heavy rains, chances are you’ve had to replace the flooring at some time or another. But what is the best material to put in a basement susceptible to water damage? While we all have certain flooring materials that we prefer, some are more resilient than others when it comes in contact with water. Regardless of the flooring you choose, the faster you clean up the water the better.

Carpet is a popular choice for basements. It makes it feel warmer and more livable. However, removing water from carpet and carpet pads can be difficult. If your carpet gets wet, you have to act very quickly to avoid mold growth. Carpet without a pad in your basement is a lot easier to salvage after water damage. We recommend calling SERVPRO right away in order to save your carpet, as we have specialty equipment that will work fast to extract the moisture and dry your carpet and pad. If your carpeting does not survive a flood, a great alternative is carpet tiles, which are easy to dry and/or replace.

Tile can be a great, low-maintenance option for your finished basement. Being made of stone or porcelain, tiles absorb very little standing water. In this way, tile flooring is essentially water-proof. Tile flooring is easy to clean and can individually be replaced if damaged.

Vinyl flooring is the best option for finished basements in flood-prone areas. It is 100% waterproof and is very easy to clean. Vinyl flooring also comes in a variety of styles, including tile and planking. In fact, many vinyl flooring options look identical to wood or laminate options.

Wood and laminate options can be quite problematic for basements, even if it does not flood. Because wood products are porous, they will absorb water. Even an overly humid basement can damage wood floors. Should your wood or laminate floors get flooded, they will almost always need to be replaced. This is because the material changes shape and warps as it absorbs water.

If you have questions about basement flooring, feel free to call SERVPRO!