Basement-Flood-Not too handy

[frugalmom]

So....I'm in the middle of financial Armageddon.  Soon to be EX, is of no help.  So this is solo, soon to be single mom operation.

I have a two story colonial in a nice, but not luxurious neighborhood.  I will likely be moving.

My basement received sewer water back up corresponding with extreme amounts of rain this past weekend.  I have thrown out a good number of items.  I removed the glued down carpet--let me just say thank you for friends--even those equally unhandy; that was a TON of work.  I also removed the MDF closet doors that expanded with the water.  I did not finish/remodel the basement.  It was done by a previous owner. 

I have a handyman coming tomorrow to look at the drywall--I suspect it needs to be cut about 6 inches from the floor and replaced.  I was unwilling to do this myself; I have done it in a previous home; and I made a HUGE mess.  The basement still has some odor; but it is getting better each day, with each bucket of bleach/soap water.

So...my question is....what do I put down for flooring?  Right now I have a large patch of cement with carpet glue.  I don't think I want more carpet.  Please share any ideas...especially those for unhandy mom's who need to supervise a young child 24/7.

[Fishindude]

Just buy a carpet remnant and throw it down.

[Papa bear]

Lock and click luxury vinyl tile.  Look for it at about 1.50/sf or less.  You can install yourself. 


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[CowboyAndIndian]

So...my question is....what do I put down for flooring?  Right now I have a large patch of cement with carpet glue.  I don't think I want more carpet.  Please share any ideas...especially those for unhandy mom's who need to supervise a young child 24/7.

Sorry to hear about that.

There are only a few flooring options when it comes to basements since they are below grade. You cannot put down a wood floor.

• Tile: This is waterproof, but hard and cold if you use your basement a lot
• Laminate: this is actually quite nice. Susceptible to water damage if you get flooding. Does not get cold
• Cork: Soft on the feet, insulating and should not get damaged with water.
• Carpet:Insulating and soft on the feet. But in the humidity of a basement, it is a mold magnet. My last preference, since my kids and I have serious allergies.
• Vinyl Tile: Semi insulating. Not susceptible to water damage.

[Jack]

Grind off the glue and polish the concrete. Top it with an area rug if you want it to be softer/warmer.

[Cranky]

I actually had a basement sewer backup some years ago, due to heavy rain - and yuck! Happily, my basement has tiled walls, so no drywall replacement to deal with.

But we did/do have basic indoor/outdoor carpet down there, and we had someone come and suck up the water and treat the carpeting. You only have to pull it up if there's padding underneath. They cleaned it and treated it with an enzyme product, and it has never smelled at ALL.

Anyway, in your situation, I'd buy some rugs and toss them down. The outdoor rugs for patios are all on clearance at this point, too.

[Frugal Lizard]

What a drag.
I had carpet glue on concrete.  I was able to scrape off the biggest of the glue ridges and painted the floor with concrete floor paint.  It looked way better.  A trick I used for the odor was to spray the concrete with a bleach solution and then lay newspapers down to absorb the smelly moisture and toss after 24 hours and repeat.  Was able to get rid of the cat pee odor after three applications.