Most homeowners usually have at least one area of their home that makes them want to throw their hands up in the air and say ‘I don’t know.’  For many people that area is the basement.  Unless you bought the house with a finished basement or have a clear idea of how to use the unfinished one, this room can be a challenge.  One of the most common areas of contention downstairs is going over your basement floor covering options.  Naturally, a good contactor can help you make sense of the options, but you have to know what you are planning to use the basement for.  Take a look at some of the popular basement floor covering options you have to pick from.

Let’s start with the flooring options that aren’t typically recommended for use in the basement.  Unless you have a watertight basement and feel supremely confident, it’s a good idea to avoid carpet, hardwood, and laminate flooring in the basement.  If moisture is a problem, carpet will mold and mildew.  You won’t like the smell.  Hardwood warps easily under pressure from water.  That’s not a good idea.  Laminate, being one single piece, will pull away from the sides and corners of the room if water damage occurs.  Not to worry though, there are still plenty of other attractive choices.

Basement Floor Covering Options

One of the more modern approaches to basement floor covering options is engineered flooring.  This is the perfect choice for people who like the look of hardwood, but don’t want to run the risk of it being damaged by moisture and water.  Engineered flooring is made from hardwood, it’s just several different versions layered together.  The layering provides a more water resistant composition. 

The best basement floor covering to choose in a basement that will only be used for storage is paint or cement stain.  Both will be unaffected by moisture and last for a suitable amount of time.  Your contractor will be able to point you in the right direction when it comes to which of the basement floor covering options will work best for you, your home, and your needs. 

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A finished basement should not only be a fun place for your children to play, but also a fun place for adults to enjoy.  Think about all of the possibilities a finished basement can offer: a place for a pool table or a dart board; a place for a home theatre; or, even more popular and perhaps even more fun, a place for a wet bar.  The possibilities for basement bars are endless, but the first part of this project will be bar sink plumbing installation.  After all, you can’t have a wet bar if it isn’t wet!

Bar Sink Plumbing Installation

So how does the average home remodeler go about bar sink plumbing installation?  Well, the most obvious course of action is simply to hire a contractor.  This is a very good idea for many home owners, especially those who do not have a lot of experience with plumbing.  Bar sink plumbing installation can be done by an amateur plumber if there is an existing plumbing fixture.  If you are simply adding a sink or changing out a sink, you should be able to do the work yourself.  But if you need to create a new plumbing attachment and hook up for your bar sink, plumbing installation should be done by a professional.

Once the plumbing has been installed, you may be able to complete the bar sink plumbing installation by yourself.  You will need a lot of tools, and you will need to have already made the actual bar and counter top.  Some of the tools needed will be a drill with a paddle bit, a sink, plumber’s putty, a drain flange, rubber and paper gaskets, channel lock pliers, a faucet, washers, nuts, and caulk.  The steps of bar sink plumbing installation will include cutting a hole in the countertop that is slightly smaller than the sink itself, using plumber’s putty on the drain flange and on the faucet, and then setting these fixture parts into the sink.  You will need to place the gaskets on the sink drain stem, and will need to tighten the drain stem locking ring.  Use the caulk to create a seal around the lip of the sink, and then set the sink into the hole in the countertop.  Be sure that your plumbing attachments are correct, you will end up with a lot of water leaking into your wet bar!

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