The basement flooring option you choose when finishing your basement can make the difference between having a warm, dry basement or a damp, smelly one.

Many homeowners lay carpet and underpadding to make hard concrete basement flooring a little softer and more comfortable.  This can work – at least until there is a basement moisture problem, leak or flood.

Damp carpets are a breeding ground for mould, mildew and bacteria that create a musty odour and can aggravate allergies.

Many basement contractors and do-it-yourselfers build a wooden sub-floor.  The advantage is clear; a wooden sub-floor raises the floor well above the cold concrete, so it stays warmer and above most moisture problems and floods.

The problem is, if your basement floods, or if there are damp conditions, the wood of your sub-floor also becomes damp.  It doesn’t take long for wet wood to begin to rot or become a home for smelly and unhealthy mould and mildew.

Another problem with a wooden sub-floor is it drastically reduces the ceiling height of your basement.  Especially in older homes, basement ceilings are already quite low, so any loss of ceiling height can make the space feel cramped.