Basement flooring - vinyl roll?

[coregis]

I've got a low ceiling basement in a 100 year old house- so I don't want to spend big bucks doing it right. I just hate the bare concrete and want to put something down in my workshop and the laundry room, about 300 sq feet total.

What I'd really like to do is just roll out a patterned vinyl like this.

My main worry is the moisture issue- I don't want to start a mold factory.

The basement is pretty dry and no smells at all. I'm in Seattle and you can definitely see how the bare concrete walls get darker patterns to it in areas, but never seepage or anything. There are some old water spots on the floor here and there, but that could be a spilled beer for all I know. Some white efflorescence spots, but no real changes I've seen. I do run a dehumidifier. Drainage is good outside. I'm more worried about locking in the vapor under my new floor than a flood.

I know it's always a crapshoot with basements and moisture, but am I just asking for trouble putting this down? I would have seams in the middle and around the edges. Of course the manufacturer says it's no problem.

I could use a thin underlayment with air pockets like Delta FL, but that is an added expense and I'm getting closer to the ceiling which is a real concern as I workout down there as well. Plus it may get a bit spongy under there without any wood base.

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[boobag]

paint the floor?

 

[coregis]

paint the floor?

One of the rooms already has paint- don't really care for it and I'd like a bit of insulation from the cold floor.

Basically I want to know if putting the vinyl roll down is a huge no-no, or just a minor one, and more importantly why.

 

[boobag]

put a piece of plastic down on the floor for a few days or weeks. then see if any moisture collects under it.

 

[Shiftless]

put a piece of plastic down on the floor for a few days or weeks. then see if any moisture collects under it.

Seems to me that you'd have to leave it down all through your wet season to be sure.
I have a basement room, below grade a couple of feet, that has carpet directly over concrete.. No problems for 30 years, but I have a sump pump to keep water level below floor level.

 

[Garage Flooring]

I've got a low ceiling basement in a 100 year old house- so I don't want to spend big bucks doing it right. I just hate the bare concrete and want to put something down in my workshop and the laundry room, about 300 sq feet total.

What I'd really like to do is just roll out a patterned vinyl like this.

My main worry is the moisture issue- I don't want to start a mold factory.

The basement is pretty dry and no smells at all. I'm in Seattle and you can definitely see how the bare concrete walls get darker patterns to it in areas, but never seepage or anything. There are some old water spots on the floor here and there, but that could be a spilled beer for all I know. Some white efflorescence spots, but no real changes I've seen. I do run a dehumidifier. Drainage is good outside. I'm more worried about locking in the vapor under my new floor than a flood.

I know it's always a crapshoot with basements and moisture, but am I just asking for trouble putting this down? I would have seams in the middle and around the edges. Of course the manufacturer says it's no problem.

I could use a thin underlayment with air pockets like Delta FL, but that is an added expense and I'm getting closer to the ceiling which is a real concern as I workout down there as well. Plus it may get a bit spongy under there without any wood base.

Thanks for any thoughts.

First I would like to point out that Rubber Flooring Inc sells a vinyl roll that is different from products like G-Floor. G-Floor is made in the USA and colored all the way through. RFI products typically have a base layer and a color layer and are made in China. I am not knocking the product, just letting you know the difference. For your application I am not sure how important that is. The once concern I would have is they are stored rolled. Not sure how flat they would lay.

In basements moisture is a concern. Garage floor tiles like Race Deck or NORSK PVC (softer but still allows for moisture to exit) might be a better choice. http://www.garageflooringllc.com/garage-floor-tiles/

 

[Armorpoxy]

Agree with Boobag, do the plastic sheet moisture test. If that passes then a vinyl or similar impervious product could work. You could also use our SupraTile www.supratile.com since these have a great 'feel' to them to walk on and are easy to install.