Finishing a basement is a large project, but it can also give your home extra room and value. Choosing the right flooring for your basement can prove to be a challenge, but it will set the tone of the room or your space. Here are some of the carpeting options you may want to look into.

If you are planning on using it as a living area or a children’s play room, you will want to choose a carpet that will keep the cool floor warm and also handle the many difficulties that may come with basement flooring. Before you install the carpet, you need to make sure there are no leaks in the basement floor. Additionally, you may want to choose padding that is mold and mildew resistant to further protect your basement.

Berber carpet is a good option for the basement. Berber is a resilient carpet that will last for several years, and it resists stains and wear and tear more effectively than most other carpets. It comes in many different textures and colors. This is a good option in high traffic areas, and it is easier to clean and maintain than other carpets. You can choose between Olefin and nylon options when looking at Berber carpet.

Another option to consider for how to choose carpet is a textured carpet. This carpet has a softer feel than Berber, because the tops of the loops are cut off. This carpet works well in play areas and bedrooms. You may consider this option for a bedroom in the basement or in an area where you are looking for softer flooring for your feet. The carpet wears well, and it comes in a variety of different fiber types and colors as well.

Carpet squares may be the best carpet for basement conditions, because they allow you to change any squares that get wet, and you can move them to dry them out to prevent mildew and mold from growing. They are easy to replace and many experts now recommend them for those who want carpeting in their basement. The squares come in a variety of carpeting options, and you can deal with laying and replacing them on your own, which can save you money in the future.

When you plan your color scheme and make your decorating choices, the carpet you choose will affect the overall design of your room. It can be tempting to go with the bargain carpet to save money, but if you do this, make sure it is a color and type that you can enjoy for several years. You care about creating a living space in your basement, and you do not want to regret the color choices you have made for years to come.

The room in which carpet installation occurs should be well thought out before purchase. Learn how to choose carpet for any room. Lush carpet on bedroom floors do not necessarily work in a playroom or an office. Heavy duty carpet may not provide the plush feel on which one wishes to step on right out of bed. Carpet manufacturers use various materials, each one with a different feel and in some cases, a different cleaning method. Choose from nylon, olefin, polyester, acrylic, wool, and cotton.

Due to durability, nylon works well in most rooms. Nylon is resistant to staining and a quality nylon carpet will resist matting. It is easy to clean and does well with regular vacuuming. The best advice is to just work within a budget, always seek to get the highest quality carpet rating (pile, stain resistance, etc) as you can afford. Although this may vary if looking to just replace carpet for selling a house, but then there’s some more things to think about then as well.

Olefin is another fiber that works well in areas of high traffic. It is also resistant to stains and makes for easy cleaning. However, watch the carpet rating. Olefin is much less expensive than nylon and will melt under high temperatures. Keep its use to well-used areas of a home.

Bedroom floors are made for wool carpeting. Wool is a traditional fiber and quite expensive. Most people come across wool flooring in rugs. A high quality, high pile wool provides a comfortable place for feet to land on wintry days and evenings. It also vacuums well. Unlike man-made fibers, it fades when exposed to long-term sunlight. Never install this sort of flooring on damp areas because it can hold on to musty odors. Because of its ability to hold on to dye, the vibrancy in color varies. It is not unusual to find wool patterned in rich, jewel tones.

The basics for caring for any carpet is making sure to vacuum each day to loosen surface dirt. Spot clean soiled areas to prevent permanent staining. Have floors shampooed professionally, at least twice yearly.

If you are considering a new flooring option you may wonder how much does carpet cost to purchase and install. The cost depends on the type of product selected (of course), the quality, and the amount needed, and other things like flooring transition strips and preparation requirements. This is hard to generalize as there are so many different options and variants that come into play. This general info here on cost, is not taking into consideration removal costs.

Generally this type of flooring is priced by the square yard though some stores price their products by the foot. The only exception may be large remnants suitable for covered patios and closets. Remnants may be priced as a single unit based on size.

There are different types of flooring options in carpeting, which all affect carpeting cost. Berber is durable yet attractive for homes with children and pets. However, due to the closed loops Berber may not be a good option for some pets that tend to get their nails caught in the loops. It cleans easily and does not tend to attract pet hair like thick pile rugs can. It is priced moderately and is usually affordable for most homeowners. A moderate price for a Berber or decent quality is around $12 to $14 per sq. yd.  Installation may cost up to $3.50 per square yard. Padding runs around $4 per square yard to install.

Carpet can be made of nylon or natural fibers like wool. Wool is soft and offer many advantages over other materials. It does need to be professionally cleaned (adding to cleaning prices) and may not clean as easily as other types. The cost of a good wool carpet may cost as much as $30 per yard.

The cheapest nylon carpet that may be suitable for indoor or outdoor use can cost as little as $10 per square yard. Those who want durability may choose a stiffer product. Caution must be used to choose a brand that will not easily fray. Installation should be done by a professional to prevent ends from pulling up and fraying. Carpet should be chosen for the specific area or purpose. It may also be useful to consider the budget but often cheaper brands will cost more in the end, as they will require replacement sooner.

Laying carpet on concrete is a challenging task but with the right information and the appropriate tools, you can get the job done within hours. Here are easy tips on how to lay carpet on concrete.

Tools

You will need various tools such as a tape measure, a carpet stretching tool, chisel, seam tape, hammer, tackles strips, carpet utility knife, self-leveling compound, foam underlayment and a seam iron to accomplish this task.

Step 1 – Getting the Dimension

Using a tape measure, determine the concrete are that you want to lay carpet on. Getting the total area can be done by multiplying the length and width of the working area. By having the proper dimension, you will be able to know how many square footages of carpet you should purchase.

Step 2 – Level the Concrete

Remove the bumpy and sagging areas on the concrete floor by using chipping away the bumps using a chisel and pouring self-leveling compound to the saggy areas.

Step 3 – Place the Tackless Strips

Place tackless strips in the perimeter of the area, making sure that the tacks are facing the wall. The appropriate distance of each strip from the wall is half an inch. Secure the strips to the concrete using masonry screws.

Step 4 – Install Carpet Padding

Pour underlayment glue around the border of the working area and place the carpet padding. Make sure that each piece of carpet padding is not overlapping its corresponding pieces.  Never pour underlayment glue to other areas of the room aside from its perimeter. Use duct tape to tape the carpet padding seams.

Step 5 – Lay the Carpet

Lay the carpet on the room to check if it fits. Add more carpet to make sure that the entire floor is covered. Cut the excess pieces your utility knife. Line up the carpet ends and use seam tape to connect the carpet pieces together. Using a steam iron, heat the seam tape to fully secure the pieces to each other and wait for five minutes for the seam tape to cool down.

Stretch the carpet using the carpet stretcher starting from one corner to another and attach the carpet to the tackless trips you installed on step 1. Remove the excess carpet using the utility knife and install carpet trims at the perimeter of the room.

Laying carpet on concrete is almost the same as laying it on any surface. You just have to make sure that you have the right tools, get the exact dimension of your working area and follow the steps above and you can have brand new carpeting within hours.

Another method and great how-to-option is seen in this great video. This process uses adhesive along with double sided tape. But this video does a good job of detailing the process. Check it out:

When looking to install engineered wood flooring on concrete surfaces, you’ll most likely be using wood floor adhesive. Solid wood flooring on the other hand is better fixed with other fixing methods and not adhesives – like traditional hard wood nails and/or staples using a hardwood nailer/stapler.  This is because such flooring is subjected to shrinking and warping which may cause the floor adhesive to leave its bond with the concrete.

Use the Right Adhesive

It is best to use the wood floor adhesive recommended by the manufacturers of the wood product, as they will be the best informed about the properties of the wood that they use and the way various adhesives react to it. Adhesives work by creating a bond between the wood flooring and the surface through chemical reactions. These products normally come in a consistency that is like thick liquid and are allowed some air exposure that converts the product into a flexible solid that creates bond between the surfaces of the tiles and the substrate. This flash time, as it is called varies from product to product and can be around a quarter of an hour. So when you are laying the tiles, you should layout as much adhesive in an area that you can cover with tiles. Some adhesives recommend rolling over to ensure the bond.

Composition of Adhesives

Most wood floor adhesives work on the same principle, where they convert from liquid to solid states. However they will differ on the base in which they are carried and the catalyst that activates their change of state. You can find adhesives that are water based, solvent based or others that use urethanes and polymers for the drying process. Water based adhesives are the cheapest and easy to keep clean.  They are not recommended for all types of wood. Adhesives that use urethanes can be cleaned with solvents and be used for any sort of flooring. Solvent based adhesives can be cleaned up easily, but do pose problems because they are flammable.

Proper Preparation Is a Must

Any wood floor adhesive can only become effective if proper preparation is made of the surfaces to be glued together. Cleaning the surfaces and ensuring the absence of any loose material is of paramount importance. Most “how to concrete” enthusiasts will be aware of different ways to clear such material, but most cleaning agents for this can be found at your local home store. New slabs must have gone through their curing period and free of moisture. Floors need to be even, as larger thickness of the adhesive can fracture when subject to load.

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According to the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA), these strips vary in size from 1/2 inch to 3 inches in width, and measure about a quarter of an inch in length. Common materials used in the manufacture of the transition strips include custom design/pre-manufactured materials, metal and wood. According to the Hardwood Manufacturers Association (HMA), transition strips made of wood have to be sealed using the exact protection that was applied on the hardwood floor. These stripes are categorized into surface and flush tile flooring, and there are a vital part of most flooring projects, especially those that use tiles since the newly-installed floor will always be at a different level than the existing flooring.

Irrespective of whether you want to use granite, marble or ceramics, (or other flooring types) the material will still require additional substrate layers during installation for insulation purposes. Tile floorings also require some form of mortar bed which might not have a uniform thickness. The surface strips are further divided into: the full saddle strips which are used to bridge any gap between two similar flooring levels and the half saddle strips which are used to bridge any gap between a lower flooring level and a higher one. According to the AAMA, aluminum transition strips are the most popular. They are easy to cut and are light in weight. If you want to carry out a DIY strip installation, all that you would require are the strips, nails, hacksaw and a hammer.

The surface strips have one major downside to them; which is despite being expertly installed, they will at some point have their ‘lips’ caught up in a toy or shoe and loosen up. Or even make it a pain for example when cleaning laminate flooring. Metal strips on the other hand have a distinct clacking sound when stepped on which might be annoying in the long haul.
Flush-mount strips are more elegant and difficult to install. While the surface flooring strips can accommodate various irregularities, the flash-mount strips are less accommodating. The flooring surfaces that are going to play host to the flash-mount strips have to have parallel and straight edges.

Laminate floors are a perfect choice of flooring for those people who are seeking the look of hardwood and at the same time wish to avoid the higher level of maintenance. Maintaining laminate floors require you to take care of the flooring by removing the dirt or stain that attack the floor on a regular basis. Using simple home remedies for cleaning laminate flooring can go a long way in helping you get your floor looking scroupoulsy clean.

One of the best recipes for a homemade laminate floor cleaner is mixing one fourth cup of vinegar with some regular warm water in a spray bottle or a bucket. Cleaning the floor with a mop soaked in this homemade solution will ensure that all the stains are removed completely without having to deal with the pesky streaking after the cleaning. In fact, using this solution helps treat the discoloration that has taken place on the floor, thereby leaving your laminate floor looking spotlessly clean and radiant.

Using a mixture of alcohol and liquid detergent is another homemade laminate floor cleaner that can help maintain the flooring in a successful manner. The greatest advantage of using this solution is the fact that it not only helps in imparting a shine to your laminates floors, but also dries quickly, thereby reducing trace marks. Moreover, using this floor cleaner proves to be highly beneficial in helping remove even the toughest stains on the flooring in a simple and effective manner.

Using a good quality mop with a removable microfiber cloth is another simple tip to clean laminate flooring. A microfiber which is basically a light weight polyester fiber is an effective aid that helps remove oil dirt and grease from the flooring in a cost effective manner. Using a microfiber with water, vinegar or any sophisticated cleansing product can go a long way in leaving you laminate floor with a glistening shine.

However, apart from these simple home remedies for cleaning for laminate flooring, there are other important factors to be considered to help maintain laminate floors. Adding felt pads under furniture legs or placing a rug in common areas can be beneficial in preventing scratches or accidental spills from beverages in high traffic areas, thereby keeping your laminate flooring looking fresh, shiny and absolutely clean.

Approximately 95 percent of American homes have some form of a carpet according to the US Census Bureau. It is therefore natural for one to be curious as concerns the installation process of the carpet, especially on concrete which is one of the most common flooring types in the country. Installing a carpet on concrete is not that hard a task that some of us might imagine. However, it is important to follow the laid down procedure so as to have a smooth carpet that fits the house perfectly. Carpet installation requires the use of specialized tools which can be easily rented for those who do not want to own theirs.

There are a ton of great resources out there for how to install carpet, I’ll show a great video here and then a bulleted list of how-to’s below to help you along.

Apart from the use of specialized tools and working up some muscles, the trickiest part of installing a carpet on concrete is probably choosing the right type of carpet for your needs. Woolen carpets are quite expensive and ideal for high-traffic areas since they are crush resistant and durable. Nylon carpets are easier to clean and quite durable. They should not be exposed to the sun. Polyester carpets are quite affordable, fade when exposed to the sun and are quite durable especially in the face of abrasions. Acrylic carpets are low priced; do not fade when exposed to the sun and rate fairly against resisting crush. Polypropylene Olefin is the cheapest type of carpet and has a fair resistance to abrasion.

If you are interested in how to install carpet on concrete, here are the things that you will need:

• Masonry nails
• Carpet padding
• Hammer
• Shears or saw
• Tackless strip
• Row cutter
• Chalk line
• Duct tape
• Utility knife
• Heavy scissors
• Staple gun
• Row cutter
• Rolling pin
• Seaming iron
• Seaming tape
• Power stretcher
• Trimmer
• Knee kicker
• Gripper edge
• Stair tool

Here’s how to install carpet on concrete:

• Clear the floor of visible dirt and debris before vacuuming.
• Inspect the floor of any moisture problems that may be there. Moisture is a leading cause of carpet destruction.
• Mark out the heat ducts that are installed under the floor to avoid puncturing them. This can be easily done by turning the heat up and wetting the floor. Areas that dry up fastest indicate the presence of the heat ducts.
• Install the tackless strips using shears and masonry nails (a must for any how to concrete guys)
• Have the carpet padding installed seamlessly.
• Cut the carpet and lay it.
• Cut up the carpet seam.
• Use the seaming tape to adhere the cut seam before melting the adhesive using a seaming iron.
• Attach the laid carpet using knee kickers.
• Once a corner of the carpet has been successfully hooked, use a power stretcher to tightly stretch the carpet to the other end.
• Trim any excess carpet before smoothing out all rough edges using a stair tool

Things You Will Need

Aside from the carpet seam tape, you also need a seaming iron if the kind of tape you have is heat activated. You will also need a piece of knife, razor or large scissors to cut straight edges along your carpet. Have a piece of chalk or pencil to mark the edges of the two carpets on the floor. A rolling pin is also necessary to secure the tape neatly into place. You also need a measuring tape to make cutting lengths more accurate.

Instructions

Measure the full length of the carpet seam using a tape measure, no need here to know carpet per square foot. Make sure the length is taken from end to end accurately. Get the carpet seam tape and cut according to the length of the seam. Check the edges of both carpets. Make sure they are straight so they butt up correctly when joined together. Use a knife, razor or scissors to straighten up the edges if necessary. Position both carpets on the floor. Smoothen the edges together and make sure no gaps are seen in between.

Using a piece of chalk or pencil, draw a straight line on the floor in between the seam. If you find it difficult to draw a line, carefully pull back one edge of a carpet and trace a line against the edge of the other carpet. Peel the tack paper on one side of the tape slowly and partial at a time while smoothing it out on the floor. Check from time to time to make sure it is centered on the straight line drawn on the floor.

As soon as the tape is entirely smoothed on the floor, peel the tack paper on the tape’s upper side.  Heat the adhesive using a seaming iron if needed. Slowly roll back the edge of the carpet so wrinkles will not form. Use the rolling pin to press the carpet down into the carpet seam tape. Repeat when necessary.

Special Care and Precaution

Remove only one side of the carpet seam tape at a time. This will prevent unnecessary touching which may cause loss of adhesion. In addition, it is also easier to handle if only one side of the adhesive is exposed. Always handle the tape with care. Do not rush when applying the tape to floor as any wrinkling would entail discarding and cutting a fresh piece.

There are several different types of carpet textures, which will create different surfaces for the carpet but also affect carpeting cost in many cases. The texture of a carpet is often referred to as the pile. The pile is affected by the type of fiber used to create the carpet as well as the method used to construct it. Most carpets are woven, which creates a smooth flat texture for the surface area. Weaving carpet fibers is often used in creating area rugs, especially when natural fibers such as wool, are used.

Carpeting for High Traffic Areas

The most popular type of carpet found in the home is the tufted carpet. This is a method used to create dense loops or tufts using short fibers. The denser area helps the carpet to stand up to the daily use it receives in a home. The frieze style of carpet is also made for use in high traffic areas. This uses a thick, short fiber which usually has a curl in it. Carpets designed for high traffic areas will generally have short or low carpet fibers to make them easier to clean. Many carpets designed to be durable are made using synthetic fibers because they do not break down like natural fibers do.

Lush Carpeting

Carpets made with long fibers are often designed for low traffic areas such as bedrooms, and if used in high traffic areas may increase carpet cleaning prices with all the money spent on cleaning. These products often use a cut fiber in lengths from two to four inches. Carpets made with extremely long fibers are known as shag carpets and are usually used in rooms where people want to add interest to the area by incorporating a different texture. A shag carpet is often used in recreation rooms to enhance the atmosphere of fun and is also used in bathrooms to add a touch of elegance and warmth to the décor as well as the floor. Saxony carpet is also a very lush style, which is often used in bedrooms and formal rooms such as the dining and living room areas. Saxony carpet has medium length, soft fibers, which will show lines of movement across the surface such as footprints.

Carpet for Outdoors

There are also carpets designed as indoor-outdoor carpeting, which use very short synthetic fibers to create a stiff bristle brush type of texture. This carpet is often placed on outdoor decks, patios and in mud rooms. The stiff bristles are designed to catch any debris from the bottom of a shoe so it is not tracked into the main areas of the house.