Porcelain tiles for basement? (flooring, engineered, Home Depot, Lowes)
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We just bought a house and would like to replace the carpet with tiles in the basement. We like the look of the wood like tiles and wondering if we're spending more than we need. We went to a tile showroom and found a couple ones we like. They were about $8 per sf. Looking online, home depot/lowes have some as low as $2. We need to put tiles on about 700 sq ft space so that's a huge difference in terms of price. I appreciate any insights.
Our house is a split level, the basement is ~2/3 below ground. We haven't found any water/flood issues so far but I would like to avoid moisture and mold as much as possible (that's why we settled on tiles and not pergo).
Tile is not a great choice for living space that is below grade. It can really transmit cold to your feet, and will result in increased noise transmission. A floating engineered laminate floor can be an excellent choice at a far more attractive price...
If you do decide to go with tile BE SURE your installer know the proper isolation membrane for use over concrete. Budget for appropriate area rugs and other measures to reduce sound and cold.
I would not recommend shopping at places like Home Depot / Lowes but it is smart to cross shop tile speciality shops. If you measure the thickness and overall density of similar porcelien tiles the differences should be obvious. Be careful about "going cheap" as the details in things like embossed surface and depth of pigment does vary, but don't assume you need to spend more to get decent quality.
We just bought a house and would like to replace the carpet with tiles in the basement. We like the look of the wood like tiles and wondering if we're spending more than we need. We went to a tile showroom and found a couple ones we like. They were about $8 per sf. Looking online, home depot/lowes have some as low as $2. We need to put tiles on about 700 sq ft space so that's a huge difference in terms of price. I appreciate any insights.
Our house is a split level, the basement is ~2/3 below ground. We haven't found any water/flood issues so far but I would like to avoid moisture and mold as much as possible (that's why we settled on tiles and not pergo).
Thanks!
We have the wood looking tile in part of our basement. Our basement is a walk-out and the tile is in the area that walks out and also has a mini-kitchen. We love the look and durability (we keep out cat litter and food there and it's super easy to clean).
The only negative is that the tile gets cold in the winter and there really isn't anything we can do about it. Other than that, it's great. I'd say that as long as your basement is dry and you are good with parts being cold, go for it!
Edit: We paid about $5 or $6/ square foot for the tile. I have no idea why some tiles are $10 and others (at HD and Lowes) are like $2.
We have the wood looking tile in part of our basement. Our basement is a walk-out and the tile is in the area that walks out and also has a mini-kitchen. We love the look and durability (we keep out cat litter and food there and it's super easy to clean).
The only negative is that the tile gets cold in the winter and there really isn't anything we can do about it. Other than that, it's great. I'd say that as long as your basement is dry and you are good with parts being cold, go for it!
Edit: We paid about $5 or $6/ square foot for the tile. I have no idea why some tiles are $10 and others (at HD and Lowes) are like $2.
I put the two buck Porcelain tiles that look like wood from home depot on my basement floor three years ago and they look amazing. I used the expensive tile in my bathroom and laundry room down there and folks like the two buck stuff better.
The price you quoted at 8 bucks is ridiculous. Look around and you can find wood appearance tile around 2 bucks all day long. Since I'm closer to Mexico I can buy it here at lot closer to a buck a foot for good porcelain. You will want to use a high polymer mortar to set the tile in. The high polymer means if you ever have a leak in the basement the tile is going to stay put and not come up. WE use it on areas here that are outside like on patios, sidewalks, and entry porches.
We keep hearing people suggesting engineering floor because tiles are very cold in winter. But would the engineering floor gets destroyed if we ever had a flood in the basement?
I keep going back and forth because the basement will be the kids play room. At the end of the day, I want them to be comfortable but I'm also very worried about the moisture issue. Am I over thinking too much??
But would the engineering floor gets destroyed if we ever had a flood in the basement?
Yep. Keyword flood. None of the engineered flooring is rated for under water for any length of time. Quite a lot of it isn't even rated for wet mopping. If a cold floor is the issue, consider radiant floor heat under the tile.
Yep. Keyword flood. None of the engineered flooring is rated for under water for any length of time. Quite a lot of it isn't even rated for wet mopping. If a cold floor is the issue, consider radiant floor heat under the tile.
Ok that doesn't ease my mind. Spills will happen for sure with kids.
I like the radiant floor heat idea but that is over our budget. I think I will stick with tiles and area rugs.
In a true "flood" even tile stands a good chance of being ruined...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nanotube
Thanks for all the input.
We keep hearing people suggesting engineering floor because tiles are very cold in winter. But would the engineering floor gets destroyed if we ever had a flood in the basement?
I keep going back and forth because the basement will be the kids play room. At the end of the day, I want them to be comfortable but I'm also very worried about the moisture issue. Am I over thinking too much??
Tile and grout have LOTS of tiny little seams / pores that do a remarkably effective job of making themselves hosts for mold / bacteria. You will need to hire a firm to literally sterilize tile after a flood to kill that stuff.
If you truly fear such flooding it probably makes sense to stick with an epoxy sealed stained concrete flooring solution --
Tile is not a great choice for living space that is below grade.
I disagree. Tile is perfect for basements. It cannot absorb moisture and will look new forever.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chet everett
A floating engineered laminate floor can be an excellent choice at a far more attractive price...
Laminate will adsorb moisture and swell up, thus ruining the floor. I've seen it many times. The key phrase is below grade. You do not want anything that will adsorb moisture below grade.
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In a true "flood" even tile stands a good chance of being ruined...
