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Flooring for basement-Laminate vs Marmoleum?

16 years ago

Hi! This is my first post here. I spent all weekend reading up old posts..lots of info..my head is spinning! LOL!

I was wondering if you would weigh in on what would work better for a basement playroom-floating laminate or marmoleum over a concrete floor?. We have never had standing water in the basement over the last two yrs though there is some evidence of past damage. We do run the dehumidifier in the summer. So we need to plan for the unexpected.

I like the fact that marmoleum will feel soft and it comes in different colors that i can mix-match. However, at 12$/sqft and more than 500sqft, I am thinking whether it is worth it. Also, I have other areas in the basement(laundry room, closets, DH's workshop) that would need to coordinate with this floor. I def cannot afford put marmoleum over the entire floor! Any other options I should consider? I have ruled out carpet, hardwoods or ceramic for obvious reasons. I am not so familiar with the different kinds of vinyl, laminate flooring available. Anybody care to point me to a primer-website/book?

Thanks for all your help!

Vinaya

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Comments (2)

User
15 years ago
Our basement floor isn't smooth. A previous owner installed sheet vinyl and it's now buckling/ripping in places. If your floor isn't level, I'd go with Marmoleum clicks or other squares. We have Marmoleum clicks in our back entry way and are really happy with it.
seablu711
15 years ago
I am trying to decide on the same issue. We have carpet in most of our basement. One area I want to put down a type of floor that will be good for a playroom for the kids. An area where they can paint, draw, and keep their toys. When I have family gatherings this area will serve as extra seating for eating. I want it to look nice, not cold on the kiddos feet, easy to clean, and durable. That's not too much to ask. LOL. My flooring guy suggested duraceramic becasue it is not as cold or hard as tile. Any suggestion on what type of flooring would be best? or any opinions on duraceramic?
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This is a quote from our blog article: --Choosing Quality Floating Wood Floors For your condo, basement, radiant heat floors-- 'Now you may be asking yourself. Why should I choose floating wood floors over laminate flooring which is just as easy to install and has the similar wood grains? Well floating wood flooring is real wood that offers all the advantages of real wood floors. The biggest advantage is that real hardwood is warmer on your feet. Like solid wood flooring, floating wood floors with thicker wear layer can also be refinished a few times. Remember the thicker the wear layer the more times you can refinish. Quality floating wood floors should last 40 to 50 years!' If you like to read more about engineered floating wood floors, here is the link to our blog page. Hope this can help to make your decision. Here is a link that might be useful: Floating Wood Floors ve Laminate Floor
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We did our whole basement a few months back in luxury vinyl tile (that's the lvt above :) ) and just love it. I think it's a no-brainer if you have dogs that will scratch up hardwood or need waterproofing (we put it through our laundry area and mudroom). On a main floor, I'd still do hardwood, because all of the other options feel fake underfoot (barefoot). But if that's not an option, the lvt is warm, soft, and has some awesome looks these days. I really think it's going to completely replace laminate pretty quickly.
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Laminate (traditional fibreboard construction) is NOT recommended for kitchens...in fact it VOIDS the warranty on 99.99% of laminates. A water PROOF or water RESISTANT laminate (composite core construction) is more than welcome in a kitchen...with the understanding that anything "wet" must be wiped up within 15 minutes (which is 15 minutes LONGER than a regular laminate). Engineered hardwoods (like solid) are allowed in kitchens. The finish on the wood is highly water resistant but NOT water proof. You will be required to wipe up spills within 15 minutes (same as the water resistant laminate). A nice water resistant laminate = $4.50/sf. A high-end water PROOF laminate = $5.50/sf. A nice engineered hardwood = $6/sf. A high-end engineered hardwood = $15/sf. Solid hardwoods have the same pricing. The question becomes, what are the other floors in the REST of the house?
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