Debated between laminate and vinyl plank for my basement floor, went with the vinyl

Honestly, I spent about two weeks going back and forth on this. I was worried about moisture since my basement can get a little damp after heavy rain, and everyone online kept saying laminate swells up if it gets wet. Ended up grabbing a luxury vinyl plank at Home Depot for $2.50 a square foot, and after installing it last weekend, I'm pretty happy. The click-lock system was easier than I thought, and it looks decent for the price. Has anyone else had issues with laminate in a basement, or was I just overthinking it?

3 comments

3 Comments

colescott6d ago

Yeah I mean unless you're literally installing the floor in a puddle I think people overreact about laminate in basements. I've got basic laminate in my old basement for like 6 years now and it's fine. One time the sump pump backed up and there was maybe an inch of water sitting on it for a few hours before I noticed. Dried it out with a fan and you can't even tell. The click lock stuff is pretty tight if you install it right. I think people watch too many YouTube videos and get scared of nothing.

baker.christopher6d ago

Wait, you had an INCH of water sitting on your laminate for hours and it didn't warp or swell at all? That's wild. I would have assumed that stuff would be toast after that.

maxl936d ago

Ngl I half expected you to say you left a wet sponge on it for 30 seconds and it turned into a potato chip. Maybe my install is just janky enough to let water out.