Best flooring?

DH and I are replacing the horrible carpet in our new basement. This carpet is in really bad shape and needs to be replaced. However, we're torn about whether to replace with carpet or laminate flooring. Hardwood flooring is too expensive for the space (1200 square feet). So our choices are either laminate or carpet, unless there's another option. I've been reading about cork too, which I guess would be a third option. We've gone to the carpet store and looked at different types of carpet. I really like the look of berber but I think our cats will destroy it with their claws because it has a loop type weave, and they love to scratch at carpet. I find regular cut pile carpet kind of boring, but it might be the best choice. We've looked into wool carpet but it is very expensive.

And we've had a bad experience with laminate flooring--had that throughout our last rental, and it was put in when we moved in. After only three years of living there, it had come up in places (buckling) and was starting to separate from the subfloor. It also discolored around the furniture.

[SuzySunshine]

I think it depends what you plan to do in the basement? Is it completely finished? Do you use it for storage? Game room? etc

I think it depends what you plan to do in the basement? Is it completely finished? Do you use it for storage? Game room? etc

Yes, it's completely finished. We plan to use it as a second family room--TV area, game room. It is a place where we will want to spend lots of time--i.e. very nicely finished. The first level of the house is all nice hardwoods. But the current basement carpet has to go. It's in terrible condition.

[poky]

I'm not sure what exactly you mean by "laminate" - wall to wall sheets like in kitchens and bathrooms? Tiles? We put down something like this:
http://www.builddirect.com/Laminate-...px?bdps=lffpp2
and the stuff we got had a great warranty and wasn't much more expensive than decent carpet, and seemed to hold up well (till we moved, at least). It was *super* easy to install, too; click-in, no nails or glue, and just floated on top of the foam underlayment.

Another option is ceramic tile: http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/pr...ic/_/N-67nZ70c

[spotty_dog]

I've been in several homes recently with attractive concrete floors throughout. I don't know anything about the cost but I'd consider that for a family room. Or else Pergo-type laminate.

[SoonerTexan]

Concrete is really nice...but cold. A basement might not be so bad, though. Or worse because it is a basement? We had stained concrete in one house--it didn't wear all that well in the high traffic areas and doesn't look so hot if the concrete isn't in the best shape. But it certainly is cheap!

[SuzySunshine]

I'm a carpet person, not necessarily wall to wall but if it was room I was going to use a lot I would at least want area rugs if I was using concrete or hardwood floors. However I wouldn't do berber because I'm also a plush carpet person.

[bokelley]

After the basement flooded, and had to rip carpet out for the 3x in one year, we switched to Pergo hard wood. We have real hardwood everywhere else, but I thought the Pergo would be better since it moisture got under there we could just replace that one part. Our is some sort of bamboo Pergo or something like that. I love it. But I am a carpet hater, I love how great it looks when it is clean and fresh, but with the dogs and my husband and the future children I just don't ever see that happening. It can be kinda chilly down there, so we got a really nice plush rug. Looks great now!

[houseelf]

Personally, I'd go with tile or laminate in a basement area. Just because you had a bad experience with buckling before doesn't necessarily mean it was the covering. If the subflooring is jacked up, the surface will be jacked up too.

[DCJenn]

www.flor.com

I love it and when it gets messed up you can just replace the messed up parts.

Jenn

[moonlight]

I'm not sure what exactly you mean by "laminate" - wall to wall sheets like in kitchens and bathrooms? Tiles? We put down something like this:
http://www.builddirect.com/Laminate-...px?bdps=lffpp2
and the stuff we got had a great warranty and wasn't much more expensive than decent carpet, and seemed to hold up well (till we moved, at least). It was *super* easy to install, too; click-in, no nails or glue, and just floated on top of the foam underlayment.

Another option is ceramic tile: http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/pr...ic/_/N-67nZ70c

Poky can you or anyone that knows about fake wood laminate give me some tips on how to get started? I need to buy laminate this week. Budget is a major factor. We have the subfloor is concrete. We plan to get the padding or whatever it is to put under it. Does thickness of the laminate really matter? if so, why?

[poky]

Poky can you or anyone that knows about fake wood laminate give me some tips on how to get started? I need to buy laminate this week. Budget is a major factor. We have the subfloor is concrete. We plan to get the padding or whatever it is to put under it. Does thickness of the laminate really matter? if so, why?

The technology has improved since we bought ours. You have more options; there are quite a few on the market with the underlayment built in, and there are some *really* cheap ones that actually still look pretty decent and have decent warranties. We recently got a box of this stuff at Home Depot for a small space, and were happy with how it turned out: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-B...9#.UX63EbXFVY4 (it was on sale for something like $14/box, which was ridiculously cheap). Whatever you do, *follow all instructions*. I did notice there were reviews of that particular brand that talked about how awful it was to put together, and others that said it was super-easy. After reading the instructions, I'm betting the ones who had trouble either didn't follow them, or had a bad batch or something; the instructions were different than what I expected from having done laminate wood before (you snap together a whole row, then snap the whole row to the row before it, rather than one-piece-at-a-time). Depending on expected traffic volume, I'm not sure that the thickness matters all that much. Do look at and understand the warranty before you buy; what *exactly* does it warrant, and for how long, and what happens when you have a claim?

[moonlight]

I need to buy the flooring like yesterday. I don't have time for shipping. I'm a little limited in that I need to pick something up local. Do you think .97/SF is a decent enough price? I checked it out and was really happy with how it looked. I ran into a lady in the store buying carpet and was chatting with her about my house. She bought the same .97/SF laminate two weeks ago and was really happy with how it looks in her house. She was getting carpet for her bedrooms. This woman was pushing 50 had a hot pink shirt on with not so matching purple eye shadow. She was a super sweet lady and I'm trying not to question her flooring judgment based on her lack of eye makeup judgment. I'll go fetch it tomorrow as long as you think that's a bargain. Should I continue shopping around?

[poky]

Yes, under a dollar per square foot is a good deal for halfway-decent flooring. What was it, exactly?

[moonlight]

Yes, under a dollar per square foot is a good deal for halfway-decent flooring. What was it, exactly?

Now my MIL (who is helping me out with all of this) want to put in Luxury Vinyl Planks. It took me all day to get get two really good options for laminate. Looks like LVP is at my Lowes for .98SF. My handyman has never heard of it but thinks he should be able to do it. MIL talked with him today. She says its easier than putting in laminate except that we'll need to pour some type of leveler on the subfloor before he can then snap in the LVP.