Concrete Basement Floors

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Basement Floor Myths Busted:

Myth #1: Bare concrete floors are cold and damp

Myth #2: Cracks in concrete are inevitable and it's better to cover them up than to live with them

Myth #3: Carpeting looks warmer and much more inviting than concrete

Myth #4: Covering up or sealing the concrete floor will help to reduce radon infiltration

Myth #5: Decorative concrete floors are slippery

Myth #6: Floor coverings are cheaper to install than decorative concrete

Myth #7: Carpet, vinyl tile, and wood laminate flooring offer more color and design options

Related Information:

Comprehensive overview of finished basements

Building with Concrete: Concrete basements

Basement crack repair information

Common Questions about Concrete Floors: Are they cold? Are they loud? Are they expensive?

Design Ideas for Concrete Basements:

Concrete Contractors: Find Products and Suppliers

Jerry Kline of Kline Construction stained his own
basement floor a luxurious Cordovan Leather
enhanced by a clear sealer.

Homeowners who have full or partial basements that can be transformed into living space are essentially sitting on a goldmine. Realtor surveys show that finishing a basement ranks just behind kitchen and bathroom renovations in maximizing the return on the homeowner's investment, with the payback sometimes exceeding the remodeling expenditure (see Why a Finished Basement?). What's more, expanding the living space into the basement is often much more economical than adding another room or floor onto an existing home.

So when prospecting this subterranean goldmine, why do many homeowners bury one of its most valuable nuggets—the concrete floor? Why do they assume that hiding the concrete under carpeting or other floor coverings is the best way to strike it rich in terms of value and resale potential?

It's time to straighten these homeowners out before the gold rush passes them by, and bust some of the common myths about the perceived disadvantages of concrete floors. In fact, assuming that the basement and floor are structurally sound, enhancing the concrete rather than covering it up is fast becoming the gold standard in basement floor treatments, with benefits that extend well beyond aesthetics.