Laminate flooring in the basement

[RobA]

I want to replace the carpet in my finished basement with laminate flooring. There is a sump pump in 1 of the rooms but we have never had water or mold problems. There is a vapor barrier embedded in the concrete floor as well as an intricate drainage system below the floor. Pergo's website says their flooring should not be used in a basement with a sump pump in any part of the basement. Do you think this is more of a disclaimer thing in the case of pump failure? Can you think of any reason why I shouldn't do this?

 

[/pine]

The flooring may susceptible to moisture permeation...

 

[mbohuntr]

The flooring may susceptible to moisture permeation...

Agreed, and if the pump should fail, you will surely have to rip out the flooring to dry it... Consider some type of ceramic tile.. It can look like wood, and have an area rug over it for comfort.

 

[dragoneggs]

Agreed, and if the pump should fail, you will surely have to rip out the flooring to dry it... Consider some type of ceramic tile.. It can look like wood, and have an area rug over it for comfort.

I think a good suggestion. Thinking of the same. We have carpeting and no real moisture issue but I don't want to re do it if something goes wrong.

 

[/pine]

On the other hand...if there's never been a problem with carpeting getting saturated etc...

 

[jaxs]

If carpet didn't mold while on that floor, laminate will not have a problem. All this gloom and doom talk desn't take into account that ground,secound and even 10th floor residences flood every day and ruin sub-floor as well as laminate. Install what you like and injoy it,tend to problems when and if they arise.

 

[ray66v]

Have you looked at 100% vinyl plank flooring? It's completely waterproof.

It looks just as good as laminate, is easier to install, more durable, and can get wet.

In my opinion, it's a no brainer in this application.

 

[whatever1]

When I was looking for a new basement floor I was concerned about water also. My salesman showed me a laminate floor and out a soaking wet towel on it while we looked around the store. When we came back he removed the towel to show us the floor was not harmed. Well we were sold and had it installed. Then we had water in the basement, the floor was under water. I called the salesman and he told me we had about 3 - 4 hours to remove the floor and dry it out as the water got under the floor. The guarantee was only for water from the top, not under.
After I tore that out we had a sheet good installed that is a cushioned fiberglass floor. It has a stone pattern that makes the seams very hard to find. Since then I found this product..... DRIcore(R) | Subfloor | Subloor R+(R) | SMARTWALL(R)

 

[dragoneggs]

When I was looking for a new basement floor I was concerned about water also. My salesman showed me a laminate floor and out a soaking wet towel on it while we looked around the store. When we came back he removed the towel to show us the floor was not harmed. Well we were sold and had it installed. Then we had water in the basement, the floor was under water. I called the salesman and he told me we had about 3 - 4 hours to remove the floor and dry it out as the water got under the floor. The guarantee was only for water from the top, not under.
After I tore that out we had a sheet good installed that is a cushioned fiberglass floor. It has a stone pattern that makes the seams very hard to find. Since then I found this product..... DRIcore(R) | Subfloor | Subloor R+(R) | SMARTWALL(R)

When I first started reading your post, I thought... bad test by a salesman... kept reading and saw you learned the hard way. Sorry to hear.

 

[RNeumann]

I want to replace the carpet in my finished basement with laminate flooring. There is a sump pump in 1 of the rooms but we have never had water or mold problems. There is a vapor barrier embedded in the concrete floor as well as an intricate drainage system below the floor. Pergo's website says their flooring should not be used in a basement with a sump pump in any part of the basement. Do you think this is more of a disclaimer thing in the case of pump failure? Can you think of any reason why I shouldn't do this?

Yah you don’t want pergo in a basement or anywhere else that has water. We too have had issues with pergo. We now install the vinyl that looks wood. It’s under $2/sf, doesn’t need a pad or other underlayment and doesn’t get glued down.
The problem with pergo and others is the construction- it’s just pressed wood chips or sawdust with a very thin wear layer on the top only. Any water under it or between the planks will swell and ruin the flooring.
Skip it for that application.