Laminate on basement floor, but there is a drain there

nag

My house was built in the late 70's. Ranch house, with an almost fully finished basement.

The basement is very dry. The majority of it is finished, all in carpet, with no water or mosture problems, mildew, funny smells, etc. The walls are all drywalled and have been for several years without a water spot on them. The grade around the house has a good slope, so the south and east sides of the house are low enough that there are 36" windows that site entirely above the outside ground level, which helps in fresh air and the grade helps keep out the water...

Now, there is one 12x12 room in the house that I want to finish for my wife. The walls have already been studded around it for the rest of the existing finished areas. It will be an office type area, and she will also cut hair in there. Because of the hair, I want a hard surface floor. I'm planning to go with laminate wood style flooring

I said all of this to get to my main question. The floor is very even and very smooth, other than one major problem... There is a floor drain right in the middle of the room, with the obvious grading around it. It dropps about 1/2" in about a 8" radius around the drain (16" diameter total). There is obviously some grading in the rest of the room, but it is very suttle and smooth, so I don't think it would be an issue.

So, what are my options here? Can I get the laminate flooring down with minimal cost and hassle? Or am I looking at a big project? Or do I need to just go with something else?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Nick

flooringgirl

The floor needs to be completely level for a laminate, so it doesn't peak at the seams. If there is no longer any need for the drain, fill it in and smooth out the slope with some portland-based cement. If there's a potential that the drian will be needed in the future, laminate isn't the right choice, you should be going with sheet vinyl or VCT (vinyl composition tile).

Tia

nag

Thanks for the response.

While I don't really think the drain will be needed... I don't want to bet on it.

I think I'm going to go with those 4.5" or 6" x 36" vinyl peel and stick floors, that look like laminate/hardwood. I saw a few that have gotten some good reviews.

Anyone have experience with this product?

FrankL

I have looked at some of the peel and stick wood and stone/tile products in Lowes. They look great and appear to be as durable as the strong vinyl tile. I know someon who used it in an office and it looked great.

It should be cheaper than laminate and you can get an area rug to go over it.

Frank Lardino

flooringgirl

My suggestion would be to definitely glue the peel-and-sticks. Years ago, before knowing any better, I used some of those in my kitchen and they warped anywhere there was moisture - around the refrigerator, near the sink, etc. - however, glued them in my rentals and not a problem, even with the abuse of tenants. At the company where I work, we no longer even sell peel-and-sticks, nor do we sell carpet with attached pad. Some things cause more complaints than they're worth.

Tia

nag

Thanks for the reponses.

Yeah, glueing them down would be a good idea.

Any suggestions on the type/brand/method of gluing them down?

flooringgirl

Cannot recommend a certain adhesive, as backings are different on the various peel-and-sticks. Perhaps you could call the manufacturer and ask for their suggestion? I was successful with just troweling on sheet vinyl adhesive, but don't want to tell you wrong!

Tia