Luxury Vinyl Planks in Basement

[white91formula]

Hi guys. I recently had my water heater go and flooded my finished/carpeted basement. As a result the carpets were removed. The wife wants to do the luxury vinyl plank flooring instead of replacing the carpet. We are looking at the 100% waterproof ones that do NOT have the MDF/fiberboard backing. We live in central new england, have a walk out basement and dont get a lot of moisture down there and live on a hill so flooding isnt a concern.

We would be taking the tile section out shown, and one other not seen in the picture.

A few questions for you guys on that.

* The concrete slab has some variation wtih high spots and low spots. How do i determine if it is good enough or needs to be leveled.
* The concrete is painted in the room pictured and has carpet glue in the far room. Do these need to be stripped to put leveler down or can i go over them ?
*I dont want transitions between spaces, main room to the back room pictured. Once i get into that room, can the planks be clicked/snapped together in reverse to back fill that room ?
* Does anyone have experience with this in their basement ? Its marketed at below grade and good for basements. I talked to one flooring contractor and he basically called me stupid and said he wouldn't even quote putting it in because its only going to results in lots of mold under it and even with a vapor barrier there would be "rubbing" between the floor, barrier and concrete over time putting holes in the barrier causing moisture to come up and mold.

Thoughts ?

 

[56Mark]

Hi guys. I recently had my water heater go and flooded my finished/carpeted basement. As a result the carpets were removed. The wife wants to do the luxury vinyl plank flooring instead of replacing the carpet. We are looking at the 100% waterproof ones that do NOT have the MDF/fiberboard backing. We live in central new england, have a walk out basement and dont get a lot of moisture down there and live on a hill so flooding isnt a concern.

We would be taking the tile section out shown, and one other not seen in the picture.

A few questions for you guys on that.

* The concrete slab has some variation wtih high spots and low spots. How do i determine if it is good enough or needs to be leveled. I would get a 6' straight edge and check for variation and compare to the spec on the floor you are planning to use, OR buy one box and put in down in the worst places and see what it looks like
* The concrete is painted in the room pictured and has carpet glue in the far room. Do these need to be stripped to put leveler down or can i go over them ?I would get most of it up, especially the loose stuff, scuff up the paint for adhesion and apply a primer made for the leveler
*I dont want transitions between spaces, main room to the back room pictured. Once i get into that room, can the planks be clicked/snapped together in reverse to back fill that room ? Most of what I have done , you can go backwards but it is a little more difficult.
* Does anyone have experience with this in their basement ? Its marketed at below grade and good for basements. I talked to one flooring contractor and he basically called me stupid and said he wouldn't even quote putting it in because its only going to results in lots of mold under it and even with a vapor barrier there would be "rubbing" between the floor, barrier and concrete over time putting holes in the barrier causing moisture to come up and mold. How can it be more of a moisture problem than carpet. I would go for it and...Bang his wife!

Thoughts ?

 

[b-boy]

I'd use a very heavy vapor barrier.

I also agree with the above statement - how can it be any worse than carpeting?

 

[volleyball]

Vinyl planking off gasses for decades. Is the space properly vented to take that into account.
As for the level enough question. It is like a paint job. Any variation will be amplified over a short time. Can you be ok with that. Some people will be, others will be driven crazy.
Maybe one of the garage floor coating or tiles would be another option

 

[tonyciambrone]

I don't think it's stupid, and it is done everyday.

Maybe a sealer? But I am not sure about vapor barrier.

Keep in mind, especially further north than I am, it is gonna be cold on your feet in the winter. Unless your slab is very well insulated/ hydronic but I doubt it.

Previous owner did MDF vinyl plank in my basement, and I like it, but it is just stupid compared to solid Vinyl. You can mop it, but you dare not let any water sit on it lest it swell and buckle.

 

[White Shadow]

I have a completely finished basement (2000 sq.ft. minus maybe 200 sq.ft. for the utility room) that is mostly Cortec planking. If you're not familiar with it, Cortec has cork on the bottom of it and it's supposed to be good for wet areas like showers/bathrooms and kitchens.

One thing I can tell you for sure is that you will definitely need to make sure that they floor is 100% level & even if you are going to lay vinyl planks directly over concrete. Any variation in the floor is going to result in the plans moving up and down as you walk over them. The planks do not take the shape of the floor, meaning they will suspend themselves over any low spots in the floor. So as you walk across the floor, you'll feel it give as you step onto low spots and then feel the plank spring back up as your weight comes off it. It's really annoying, trust me.

As far as moisture, I've had no problems at all. I did a moisture test on the floor (sections of plastic taped down to the concrete for two days) and everything stayed completely dry.

Cortec will tell you that their product can be installed in basements, but only as a floating floor. Above grade, it can be installed floating or glued down.

 

[kngelv]

Most LVP manufactures will tell you to have no more than a 1/4 off level every ten feet. I have found that to be on the conservative side. There is no such thing as MDF vinyl plank. That is laminate and would not be good for a basement. The flooring contractor straight up lied to you on the mold issue. Looking at your basement you would want to lay the planks length wise in the main area so they will go into the other room without any issues. No matter what brand you get you will need to use a tapping block on every plank to get the best connection. Coretec and Mannington Adura Max are some of the nicer brands but there are others out there too. I have the Mannington in one area of my house and LifeProof from Home Depot in another. Both are good but the Mannington is a little thicker and has a bit more cushion when you walk. Coretec has a ton of different different styles at different price points. Find a decent flooring company and bring home some samples. See if you can get a couple of actual planks rather than the normal sample blocks. I use a Bullet brand lever cutter that saves a lot of cutting time over scoring or a table saw. Try Googling it. BTW you will get a lot more feedback on the Free Parking forum. Maybe you can ask a moderator to move it. Good luck.

James