Choosing a new flooring for damp basement

[CatherineJThomas]

Here's the situation: I have a laundry room in my basement that is.... gross. It's just plain dirty everywhere. So I'm embarking on a project to clean it up, paint some stuff, new shelves, etc.

The dilemma is the floor. The room has asbestos floor tiles that just will not do. They are in respectable shape (in that they are not breaking, peeling, or falling apart, but there are a couple that are missing). My plan is to go over them with some type of covering, but the hitch is that a few times a year there is some water seepage in the basement -- not a lot, just enough to make parts of the existing tile visibly damp. I just want to make sure I'm putting down something in the right way that will be able to deal with the dampness.

So, my questions are:

1. I'm thinking vinyl flooring is probably the best option... right?
2. If so, any recommendations on whether I should prefer vinyl tiles or sheets?
3. Any thoughts on how to deal with the couple of spots where an existing asbestos tile is missing?
4. Any thoughts on prep work or what adhesives to use?

Thanks!

 

[awdblazer]

put dricore down
then you can put whatever you like down there

 

[volleyball]

I would prefer a sheet vinyl myself. You can use a floor leveler product or you can get a few vinyl tiles if you can find the right thickness to fill in where the others are missing.
Dricore is a good system but you do lose a little height which may or not matter.
Be sure the adhesive and material is rated for below grade.

 

[Shea]

The easiest would be the use of interlocking floor tiles. Go with the polypropylene as they allow air flow underneath for helping the floor dry when it gets damp. Easy to install as well since no floor prep is necessary. SwissTrax makes this this style, but there are quite a few others out there depending on what look you want. RaceDeck makes a carpet tile that is slick as well.

 

[kwfloors]

Don't put a felt backed vinyl product down, it will mold when it get wet. Solid vinyl would work, loose layed.