Many of my customers need to replace the flooring or carpeting in their basements after flooding and water damage. Once they’ve lived through a flood, and the ensuing damage and smell associated with this (not to mention costs), they are often looking for water proof and water resilient flooring options.
One of my recent customers in Irvington NY 10533 had a bad flood. She called me thinking she wanted tile flooring in her basement. But, it was cold in the basement and she was thought if she did tile she would do radiant heat to warm it up. I said, sure we can help you with the tile and radiant heat, but it's going to be expensive...especially considering it's a basement. She had another issue, too...she couldn't find a tile she liked to go with the stone/granite fireplace...everything seemed to clash and compete with it. She oriiginally wanted hardwood there and wanted to continue the hardwood look that she had throughout the house.
But, she knew that hardwood would not survive the water issues there...and considering they had 2 flooding issues in 6 months, it didn't seem like a good idea to risk it. Thankfully, she called me and allowed me to help her problem solve. While I gave her an estimate for the tile and the radiant heat, I found a much more cost effective and visually appealing option....
.....Luxury Vinyl planks that look like hardwood......
This solution was perfect for her. First, it is waterproof. Second, it looks amazing - it really looks like hardwood and it even is textured with graining to feel like hardwood. Third, it is much more cost effective. It's less expensive than tile and eliminated the need to do radiant heat. (all together, the price was about 1/3 of the price of tile, self leveling mix and radiant heat). Fourth, it's much easier to clean - any all purpose cleaner will work and you avoid the issues of cleaning grout, not to mention the need to reseal it every year.
I can't wait to see this new luxury vinyl that looks like hardwood in her basement. It's a wonderful looking and practical option for basements with flooding or moisture issues.

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