Myth #7: Carpet, vinyl tile, and wood laminate flooring offer more color and design options

This is possibly the biggest myth of all. No flooring material offers more decorative versatility than concrete. A few of the options particularly well-suited for basement floors include stampable and self-leveling overlays, chemical stains, epoxy coatings, paints, dyes, and stenciling. What's more, these treatments can be combined to create one-of-a-kind decorative finishes to suit unique basement design schemes. Consider these possibilities:

  • Stencil a colorful border or faux area rug on the floor using Modellos, adhesive-backed masking patterns available in more than a thousand standard and custom designs. Applying color with chemical stains or dyes, either before or after the Modello is removed, permits an infinite array of special effects.

  • Install a stamped overlay. Kline Construction says it's possible to resurface most existing basement floors and stamp them to look like slate, stone, and even a hardwood floor. Kline uses a polymer-modified stampable overlay, coloring agents, and stamping tools supplied by Butterfield Color.

  • Paint the concrete floor to mimic marble or tile. Use multiple paint colors for contrast or accenting and faux finishing techniques, such as sponging and splattering, to create textural interest.

  • Stain the floor to achieve rich, variegated layers of translucent color. Henson says that using three or four different stain colors will add drama and produce three-dimensional effects.

  • Apply an epoxy coating. High-performance epoxies recommended for basement or garage floors are excellent solutions for spaces where durability is important, such as recreation areas, utility rooms, and workshops. The coatings come in a variety of hues and can be accented with decorative color flakes or chips. Some options include Shield-Crete from H&C Concrete Coatings, MuscleGloss solid epoxy coating for basement floors, Dura Poxy from Dural Concrete Floor Coatings, and EpoxyShield from Rust-Oleum:

A stampable overlay, applied to a basement floor at a thickness of
about 3/8 inch, is imprinted with a fieldstone pattern to accent a
rustic stone fireplace.
Kline Construction in Elgin, IL
An office space is transformed with a stamped overlay in a slate tile pattern.
To accent the base color of the overlay, a liquid antiquing release in a
darker tone was used during stamping. The rich accents impart
depth and texture.
Kline Construction in Elgin, IL

All of these floor finishes impart beauty and originality without diminishing concrete's most valuable assets: economy, longevity, and practicality. But a word of caution: If the basement has poor ventilation, avoid the use of solvent-based products, which can emit hazardous fumes. Many concrete stains, dyes, paints, sealers, and epoxies are available in water-based, solvent-free formulations.

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