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Thinking of Redoing Your Basement? Start with
the Flooring
You’re in the mood to have your basement transformed from just
a place to store things into a recreation room. You’ll need new
furniture and an entertainment system, but the most important
thing to change first would be the basement flooring.
Why You Should Change Your Basement Flooring
You might be wondering why it is so important to change your
basement flooring. After all, it’s just a floor, and no one
really pays attention to it. Well, it is more than just a
basement floor. It is the base of the house too, and no one
wants to spend time in a basement that has an unsafe basement
floor.
Many homes have cement basement flooring. While this kind of
floor has the benefit of keeping the basement cooler during the
summer months and being easier to clean if the basement floods,
there are several other things that you should consider
changing about cement flooring if you want to make your
basement a recreation room.
Firstly, cement flooring, if not properly poured, can be lumpy,
and this can lead people to trip. Additionally, if cement
flooring is not laid down properly, in time it can crack, which
leads to rubble all over the place and cement dust, which can
be a hazard if inhaled. If you are happy with your cement
flooring, then be sure that those who enter the recreation room
wear sneakers or shoes that are treaded.
Basement flooring is also often wooden, which poses another
problem if the wood is not treated properly. Since basements
are located below ground level, moisture often appears in the
air, which can lead to mold in on the wooden basement flooring
if it has not been treated properly beforehand.
Additionally, wooden floors are not the best idea for a
recreation room, because people will no doubt be moving around
a lot, and this can scuff the floors. Thus, it would be a good
idea to place carpet over the wooden basement flooring. The
type of carpet you choose should depend on the basement’s
atmosphere conditions.
You have many different options when it comes to fixing or
replacing your basement flooring, so be sure to have a
professional contractor come in, assess the original floor, and
give you an estimate. Remember that good basement flooring
should look good, withstand a lot of wear, and above all
things, be safe.
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