Choosing a flooring material for your basement is something that should be done with consideration of moisture. The good thing with rubber flooring is that it is moisture-resistant, slip-resistant, durable, and eco-friendly, which makes it suitable for use in different rooms in the house, particularly wet areas like the basement.
In recent years, rubber flooring has become popular in basements for many homeowners, especially those who also use the space as a gym area. Some people also use their basements as stores. Due to its ability to absorb shock, you are not worried about heavy stuff in your store damaging your floor.
Properties of Rubber Flooring That make it a Good Choice for Basements
In-depth, below is an explainer of why you should install rubber flooring in your basements. In short, the Pros of Rubber Flooring.
- Moisture resistance
- Slip resistance
- Ease of Installation -DIY friendly
- Durability
- Shock resistance
- Ability to overcome mold
Moisture resistance
In basements, water can easily attack and damage your floor differently. First, it could be water from underground through rising dampness. Second, Groundwater could seep into the basement during floods. Third, it could be a plumbing problem.
Broken pipes and leaking appliances, and because basements do not have good aeration, it is hard for the water to evaporate.
However, the rubber structure is completely impervious, and water cannot penetrate through it. It is impossible for any of the above ways. Any water on the surface is clearly visible because it just won’t penetrate.
Slip Resistance
In many flooring options, the floor becomes slippery when there are water spillages. It is the opposite, the slip resistance with rubber increases when wet. In the same way, car tires increase traction when it’s raining.
This feature minimizes the risk of slipping and prevents accidents, especially if you have kids in your house. Due to its softness, it also provides a very good playground for them (kids) or a very good spot for you (homeowner) to install your gym.
Ease of installation-DIY Friendly
Rubber flooring, in most cases, does not require adhesives or nailing down to install. It is heavyweight and has interlocking edges, which help keep the rubber tiles in place. It is applied directly to the subfloor.
These features make it easy to install without the need to hire a contractor to do it for you. Also, due to moisture problems in the basement, floors with adhesive cannot survive for long. Basements are also tight spaces with limited air circulation, and using glue could be harmful to your health.
Therefore, rubber floorings are not only easy to install but are also user-friendly.
Durability
Many homeowners, as we have seen before, use their basements for storing heavy equipment. Either as a gym or the home store. Rubber is handy because it is almost fully stained resistant and is very hard to puncture or break rubber.
Like many floors, rubber can also not be ´eaten´ by water. An example is wood floorings which rot on exposure to moisture. This toughness assures that rubber flooring could last in your basement for decades and still perform its job.
Shock Resistance
Rubber has absorption properties as that of a viscous liquid but on a higher level. These properties make it a material commonly used as a shock and vibration absorber. Like a viscous liquid, it has high inherent damping, deflection capacity, and energy storage.
Due to its elastic nature, rubber flooring stores and returns most of the shock applied to it by, for example, gym equipment and reduces its transmission.
Ability to overcome Mold
Rubber-like most flooring materials do not absorb water; it is impervious and therefore is not a culprit of water-related damages. No matter how long water sits on it, the rubber will not let water into it. Mold has no shot of destroying rubber flooring.
Other Pros of rubber include:
- It is easy to remove and reuse it in another space without the possibility of damage
- It works great for areas with heavy foot traffic and heavy furniture or installations
- When damaged, you don’t need to remove the entire floor to repair it, only remove the damaged tile and replace it.
Cons of Rubber Flooring
Rubber is not the perfect flooring; it also has drawbacks like many others.
- Cost
- Smell
- Heavy
- Seams can let in water on the subfloor if not properly fitted
- Discoloration
Cost
The price of rubber per square foot compared to other types of flooring is expensive, especially in basements, because it has to cover the entire floor area. You cannot select where to use like on the floors above the ground.
The price even gets higher depending on the style and color you are looking for.
Smell
Because it is made from car tires, It could have an irritating smell just after installation, like car tires do when they are new. However, this is a minor setback because the smell will gradually fade.
If your basement has a window, it is advisable to keep it open most of the time when the floor is just days old.
Heavy
Whether in rolls or tiles, rubber flooring is heavy and could make it very difficult for you, especially if you have a very large basement to install.
Choosing between Rubber Rolls and Rubber tiles
Rubber rolls are extremely durable and very economical. This makes it perfect for use in large commercial settings. Rubber rolls have a seamless appearance; it is difficult to know where one seems to end and where another begins.
On the other hand, rubber tiles are easy to install and can fit in any space regardless of the room’s shape. The two have similar characteristics, but depending on the scale of usage and cost, you can select one that fits perfectly.
However, If you need to install in a small area, like the basement, choose the tiles because of their versatility. If you’re looking to install in large commercial areas, choose rolls because of the price and their excellent durability.
