Finishing a Basement

Q: We are about 1/2 way done with finishing our basement. We pretty much have everything “floor wise” decided except for the exercise room.
The floor is currently cement, but we want to give the builders/contractors an idea soon as to what we should order and install in there
What would you recommend?
Thank you!
T and K
A: There is a myriad of options out there for basements, but it will be massively dependent on what traffic and weight you expect this floor to handle as well as what your tastes are. Let’s look into installation methods, what those installations can handle and then what products would fit.
For a basement, since we are talking concrete you are limited to either floating or glue-down floors. Each install has its benefits, so let’s go over the quick points. Floating floors are easier to install and replacement work can typically be done with much less fuss. The downside to floating installations is that they are not as load bearing, and rather heavy items can not go on floating floors very well, especially at the edges of the floor. Glue-down installations are the most difficult installation, but when done properly they create a very solid floor which is better suited to heavier furniture, such as in weight rooms. The downside of a glue-down floor is that replacements are incredibly difficult and it is the most likely installation type to fail if not done by a professional.
So now we have a basic concept of what installs we are looking at and what those mean – in rooms with almost no heavy furniture look into floating floors, for the exercise room, if you plan to have several weight machines or free weights, I would go with a glue-down floor. Now, once we decide install we need to look into product.
For a glue-down floor look into engineered hardwood or cork. Cork is a great choice for a exercise room as it naturally absorbs and removes most denting on its own via cork’s memory feature where it slowly tries to return to its original state, thus dents will push out over time. Also, cork is a bit more comfortable under foot. The down side with cork is that you can’t drag furniture over it, which means when moving machines or weights around, you need to be careful or you could gouge the cork. Also, cork can not be refinished only screened. So if gouges occur you can’t later remove them by sanding the floor and finishing it again.
Engineered hardwood is a good choice as well because you get a large selection of floors and if you choose a harder species like exotics, maple or similar floors, you will be less likely to dent them and what dents occur will not be as deep, hiding them some. Hardwood will also allow for a more solid surface under furniture and machines, meaning that those with a caster of some form can be more freely moved. The downside to hardwood is that is that dents and dings are permanent unless you choose to refinish the floor.
If this room will be used for yoga or less machine or weight oriented exercise, floating floors are a great choice. Most cork and engineered hardwood can be installed as a floating floor, and the benefits are similar, but the other option now would be laminate. Laminate is tough, plain and simple its built for abuse when compared to other wood floors. The downside to laminate, once you damage it there is no turning back as it can not be screened or refinished and the image of wood on its surface is paper thin, so gouges will stick out like a sore thumb, though they are difficult to cause with proper care.
A final option here would be to look into vinyl or stone and tile. This types of floors are far more resilient and can take quite the amount of abuse. The only downside here is that you might get a floor which is a bit colder under foot unless you use a radiant heat system with them. Overall, the “less fuss” options would be cork or vinyl, but again, find something that can be glued down or floated, depending on what will be in the room, then choose a color or pattern you love and put it in.