Best Flooring for a Wet Basement Family Room

My house was built in 1962. Everything was fine until about 3 years ago. I discovered mold in my basement family room. I hired a company to clean up the mold. The carpet and padding were removed only to find that we had asbestos flooring that was also removed. I bought new flooring and then the pandemic hit and everything is on hold.

I listen to your show a lot and hope you can answer my question.
Do I need a cushion under my new flooring? My new flooring is called Smartcore Pro.

In addition to the flooring, I also plan to install a sump pump and improve my outside drainage.

Thanks so much,

Kay Brown

Our Answer

Hi Kay,

The Smartcore Pro floor product you’ve selected is an LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank). Its 100% waterproof and an excellent choice for damp spaces like kitchens and baths, as well as flooring for a wet basement! I have a few suggestions that may help.

Given that this is going down over a concrete floor, don’t technically need a “cushion” as you call it but I would suggest first installing DRICORE Subfloor or DRICORE Subfloor R+.

Here’s why:

DRICORE Subfloor is a product designed to provide the warmth and comfort of a wood floor in places where wood can’t be used. It is a wood panel about 2 feet square that features a textured vinyl back that lifts the panel off the floor and allows for air circulation to dissipate any rising moisture. The DRICORE Subfloor plus is the same, but it also features an insulation layer that can assure the floor will be much warmer than it would be when laid directly on concrete.

Even though the your are installing a waterproof vinyl floor, allowing a way for potential moisture to vent, dry out and dissipate will reduce the dampness of the space and prevent mold from forming on walls and furniture. Finally, before you do anything with that basement, I strongly advise you follow the guidelines we’ve laid out in this post about how to fix a leaky or damp basement. It may be that you’ll have no need for a sump pump once the outside drainage in under control.

Finally, if you are not totally set on using the luxury vinyl plank, you can review more ideas for basement flooring products here.