What Kind of Special Considerations Do You Need to Allow for with Your Basement Carpet

Your basement doesn't have to be some kind of an afterthought. While that part of the house used to be a place for junk and fights between parents who wouldn't want the children to know, it is, these days, seen as a space to create a stylish, modern and happy den for the family. One of the first things people do to really design their basement to convincingly enough look like a nice warm place to go to, is usually carpeting. They can't quite figure out what makes for a good basement carpet though. Is it the same thing as anywhere else in house?

The thing is, a basement is not like any other room in the house. It's right down there in very close contact with the earth below. There's a reason why people think of the basement as a cold, damp place. The moisture there can be a problem. You don't want to put any carpeting in there until you're completely sure that there isn't a single spot of moisture anywhere. Unless you're willing to spend money on high quality basement waterproofing, you really shouldn't bother with any basement carpet.

It isn't just about leakages causing dampness. Even basements that don't have any of these problems can still be bad for carpeting. May be you have waterproof concrete walls protecting your basement everywhere. Even so, you can only be sure that there won't be any actual damp coming in. High levels of moisture in the air itself is a completely different matter. It's water vapor in the air – humidity. Concrete can't do anything about that.

To your basement carpet, it's almost the same thing. It won't take well to high levels of humidity.

But let's assume for the sake of this article that you have managed to really keep a totally dry basement. How exactly do you go about installing basement carpet? What is the best kind of carpet for such a space?

Even if you have done everything in your power to dry out your basement, you still should give your carpeting an extra line of defense. And that would be to install an exhaust fan that draws in air from outside. If the air in your basement is constantly freshened with dry supply from outside, there is virtually no chance that humidity could build up in there. Also, install an air circulator in your basement. You want the air in there to keep moving.

Once you actually get down to installing your basement carpet, ask for carpet padding that has had antimicrobial treatment done to it. Once you've done everything necessary, you'll find that you don't really need any special installation techniques just because it's the basement you are installing your carpeting in.

You might want to consider a low pile carpet if you intend for your basement to be a fun family gathering place. Such a place is likely to see many spills and stains. You'll be a lot happier removing them from low pile carpeting.