Consumption and Real Estate
when remodeling a basement, would you use carpet or hardwood?
Because basements can sometimes get damp, i don’t know if carpet is a good idea. But also for the same reason, would the wood shift if it became damp? What do you think works best both for practicality and also for future re-sale?
The best thing to do is to first check to see if you have an moisture in the basement. An easy way to do this is to get a 2′x2′ piece of plastic and duct tape the edges on to the concrete floor. Leave it for 72 hours if you have no visible signs of moisture you can install almost any type of flooring.
If you have moisture then I would either recommend sealing the basement or go with a vinyl tile that would look like wood. (they have some that look very real today). So that would be the safest choice.
If you have no moisture problem you can install carpeting. I would recommend that it be made of synthetic product like nylon, polyester or olefin. Carpet is warmer & many people like that, however, it is not a feature item for resale, unless you install a branded product like CornCarpet or StainMaster recently. If you go with wood, I would recommend an engineered wood floor (like UA / Mirage) This can be installed by glued down or floating methods on concrete. These woods have a plywood construction of 5 to 7 layers. Small amounts of moisture can effect any wood but if you leave the expansion space and have no major flood your wood floor will last a long time. Also wood is always better for resale.