A flooding basement is a nightmare for every homeowner that can cause a sense of panic and helplessness. Apart from making the basement unusable, a flooded basement can destroy your items, create serious health hazards, or cost you renovation work.
If you live in an area prone to flooding, you should install flooring that withstands extreme conditions. This will help you reduce the effect of flooding incidents.
There are several flooring options you can consider that are particularly good at reducing the impact of floods. Below are the best flooring for a basement that floods.
1. Ceramic Tile Flooring
This is an excellent choice for a flooding basement. Ceramic tiles are impervious to water and also very durable, which makes them the best choice. Ceramic tiles are often used in swimming pools and bathrooms, which speaks volumes about their waterproofing qualities.
When choosing the type of ceramic flooring, go for glazed tiles. These have a hard protective layer at the top, which improves their waterproofing. A sealer should be applied to protect their surface from water or stains for unglazed ceramic tiles like traditional Saltillo tiles.
Ceramic Tile Finished Basement
The grout in between ceramic tiles is also not 100% waterproof. Therefore, adding a grout sealer will help repel moisture.
Although ceramic tiles are the best for a basement affected by occasional flooding, they are more expensive. This is because of the cost of materials and labor required to install them.
They are also ineffective if your basement water comes from the ground up. This will loosen the tiles and make them ineffective. Ceramic tiles are great for flooding that comes from the ground down to the basement. Know the source of your flooding before installing ceramic tiles.
2. Porcelain Tile Flooring
Porcelain is a type of ceramic that is gaining popularity, but most homeowners aren’t familiar with it. It is stronger, harder, and water-resistant than ceramic flooring tiles. The difference between porcelain and ceramic tiles is how they are baked.
Both porcelain and ceramic tiles are manufactured from baking clays. However, porcelain tiles are more durable and dense. This is because porcelain tiles are fired at higher temperatures for longer than ceramic tiles. For this reason, porcelain tiles are practically water-resistant, which makes them a good option for flooding basements.
Porcelain Tile Flooring Basement
Porcelain tile flooring comes with all the advantages of ceramic tiles. They are durable, have low maintenance costs, resist wear, come in different designs, and most importantly, they are waterproof. However, because they are denser, porcelain tiles enhance the advantages of ceramic tiles.
For the price, porcelain tiles tend to be a little more expensive than ceramic tiles. If your budget is already stretched, ceramic tiles are a good option. However, if you can, go for porcelain tiles for your basement.
3. Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl flooring comes in planks or tiles and is made from synthetic materials. This makes it great for basement floors prone to floods or water and moisture-ridden areas such as bathrooms and kitchens.
Different types of vinyl flooring are waterproof, which does not limit where you install them in your home.
Vinyl Plank Flooring
Vinyl plank floorings cover all types of vinyl floorings designed in planks or tiles. The main categories of vinyl plank flooring include luxury vinyl plank (LVP), wood-plastic composite vinyl planks (WPC), and Stone-plastic composite vinyl planks (SPC).
SPC Vinyl Plank Flooring
Vinyl plank flooring combines several layers, each working together to provide affordable, resilient, and low-maintenance flooring. However, the core of LVP is what makes it water resistant.
Besides being water resistant, vinyl plank floorings also come in interlocking planks. This makes them easier to install and take out in flood. If you replace the underlayment, you can reinstall your LVP flooring, which is far less expensive.
Vinyl Sheet
A vinyl sheet flooring is another type of vinyl flooring. A vinyl sheet is usually a single roll about 6 to 12 feet wide. The wider length of vinyl sheets means fewer seams for a liquid to seep through. This makes vinyl sheet flooring great for high-moisture areas like bathrooms and kitchens.
Vinyl Sheet Flooring
Overall, most vinyl floorings should be great for a basement that floods. Because they are not made of organic materials, they make great floors for water-ridden areas. Vinyl floorings also come in hundreds of colors and forms you can choose from. Vinyl floorings can mimic hardwood, ceramics, or natural stone.
