7 Great Reasons to Carpet Your Basement
The timing has never been better to add space to your home by finishing your basement. Doing so can add space and value to your home. In the past, homeowners had few flooring options, but with new advances in technology, it’s now possible to make basements fashionable, comfortable and warm – with carpeting.
In recent years, carpeting has made a huge comeback, and interior designers predict seeing an upward trend in 2022. Carpeting offers a functional design for little cost, but there are many other reasons to consider carpeting, especially in the basement.
Warmth & Comfort
Basements are notorious for being cold, and expensive hard flooring options will do little to counteract that. Carpeted basements can provide a cozy spot for lounging or hanging out. Further, hard flooring can also make your basement difficult to heat. Padding and luxurious carpet make for warmer temperatures in the cellar, which ultimately help to keep the upstairs portion of the house warm, too and can even lower your heating bill. For example, The National Association of Home Builders found last year that the average home buyer will pay an additional $8,728 upfront on a home in order to save $1,000 a year in utility bills.
Increased Square Footage & Usable Space
If you’ve ever watched home design shows, you likely know that most families become frustrated when they don’t have enough space. Finishing and carpeting a basement can add valuable square footage and provide usable space in your home for that bonus space, art studio, family room, home theater, office, or exercise room.
Increased Value of the Home
With increased usable living space comes increased home value. Carpeting the basement is an excellent option for those looking to maximize their return on their investment. Housing and Real Estate experts note as much as an 86% return on investment for a finished basement. If you’re planning on selling, this can give you a lift in the value of your home. Homelight offers some great advice here if you are considering a basement facelift
Moisture Mitigation
Basements are mostly considered dark, damp, and cold, which is likely why they are generally the most underutilized places in the house. That is because they are subject to moisture absorbed by concrete floors. Flooring materials such as wood or engineered wood flooring are vulnerable to warping and other damage when installed in basements. Newer technology in carpeting has produced water-resistant carpet pads and carpeting designed to help keep your basement nice and dry.
We do get this question quite often and most ften we recommend moisture barrier padding under your carpet – for many space. You can learn more about how to protect your flooring here.
Easy & Affordable Installation
Basement floors are concrete, often unfinished, and almost always uneven. The right carpet and padding allow you to install basement flooring without leveling and prep the floor beforehand, not so with hard flooring options, which require time and money to level and prepare surfaces to receive more expensive, hard surface flooring.
Noise Reduction
If you have children or musicians in the house, you understand the importance of sound absorption. Carpeting the basement can provide a place for those noisy activities like band practice or hyped-up kids. Adding padding and flooring in your basement works to keep the noise downstairs, too. While adding space in your basement is beneficial, it will be less attractive if the noise carries to other rooms in the house.
Carpet and padding will naturally provide some sound reduction, but you have options if you choose a hard surface floor, too. When picking out a hard-surface flooring like luxury vinyl planking, look for flooring that has an acoustic underlayer to give you even more sound absorption. However, if noise reduction is essential to you, carpet is your best bet.
Great Design
Carpeting is making a comeback for a reason. Many are growing tired of homes with hard flooring and yearning for warmth, comfort, and impeccable design. Carpeting today can be as sleek and minimal or as warm and functional as any other flooring.
It’s easy to see why, hands down, carpeting is on-trend as one of the best flooring materials to use in the home and, most certainly, the basement. Carpeting can bring warmth, and new technology has brought selections that not only contribute to great design but can also withstand moisture and dry out quickly, even after a flood!
If you’re considering carpeting your basement, contact us for help choosing the best option for you!