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laminate or hardwood in basement

2K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  JetSwet 
#1 ·
I'm looking for a little guidance on choosing hardwood or laminate for my basement. It's dry and I haven't had any moisture. I also want to use the thickest option possible to bring flooring even or close to even with carpet. Lastly a step by step on installation would be much appreciated. It's obvious i'm not handy but would like to try it. Thanks!
 
#2 ·
Neither, use engineered hardwood.
Laminite to me looks like plastic.
Hardwood can not be nailed down or glued down to concrete floor.

Engineered hard wood is real wood attached to plywood. It's far more stable. can be bought up to 3/4" thick, can be refinished, has a super tough finish on it. It can be installed as a floating floor so there's no need to attach it directly to the concrete.
Your still going to need an underlayment. Cork works best.
 
#3 ·
While I agree that an engineered hardwood would be the way to go should hardwood be selected as the material to go down in the basement, there are still a lot of laminates that have improved aesthetically over the years; many offer a very authentic, non-plastic appearance. That being said, although it was mentioned that moisture has not been an issue in your basement, should it ever be, many laminates have been constructed with moisture resistant technologies, e.g., Armstrong laminates offer the HydroCore, Shaw offers OptiCore, and Mannington uses a combination of aluminum-oxide and Teflon to ward off wear, tear, and water damage. All that said, there are a wide range of options whether you go with engineered hardwood or laminate, but definitely keep laminate on your radar unless you find an engineered hardwood that you can't live without; we've worked with many clients who, after years of having it down, are still thrilled with the laminates that have been put into their basements.

I hope this helps!
 
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