9 DIY Basement Flooring Ideas for Your Home (With Pictures)

When you imagine a basement floor, “cozy” typically isn’t something that comes to mind. Instead, you probably imagine some cold, hard concrete that gets impossibly dirty and makes your feet feel weird after walking on it. Not a place you’d probably want to spend a lot of time in.

Getting a professional to lay down an actual flooring can be expensive and take longer than you might want. Plus, you’d have to accommodate a professional coming into your home over a moderately long period.

Luckily, there are many DIY options you can take advantage of. Several of these are easy to do by yourself, though you will need a few tools for some of them.

The 9 DIY Basement Flooring Ideas

1. Brick Pavers

If you’re looking for an extremely low-cost option, then brick pavers may be a reliable option. While these are very inexpensive, they do take a lot of work. If your basement is large, you’ll probably want to look elsewhere for ideas. For smaller basements or just partial remodels, this may be a reliable option. They aren’t challenging to do, but they do take a lot of time.

Depending on your style, you may or may not love these pavers. They’re perfect for a farmhouse feel or rustic design.

2. Tiles

Tiles are easy to lay and come in all different designs. There are many options on the market, with new styles always popping up. You can pretty much find anything to match your décor. Tiles aren’t tough to do, though they can be time-consuming. They’re best done if you already have some DIY knowledge and the proper tools laying around.

If you have an oddly shaped basement, this may not be the right choice.

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3. Luxury Vinyl

Once upon a time, vinyl was pretty cheap – and you could tell. Today, though, there are luxury options available that are eye-catching. Plus, vinyl is easy to lay down by yourself. If you’re a new DIYer and want a comfortable and stylish way to cover up your cold concrete floors, we highly recommend giving vinyl a try.

We also love that vinyl is exceptionally inexpensive. If you have pets or kids, you can get extra-strong varieties as well.

4. Painted Floors

If you don’t want to lay down an all-new flooring, you can attempt to paint the concrete in your basement. This may have a varying degree of success, and you’ll have to have some artistic ability to do it (or at least be good at following YouTube tutorials). Many concrete paints are specifically designed for concrete as well.

If your basement isn’t concrete but some ugly tile that you hate, you can still upgrade it with paint. Painting tiles is pretty straightforward as well.

5. Laminate Wood Floors

For a modern and very put-together feel, laminate wood floors are a reliable option. They are decently easy to install and can be found at a decently low price – depending on what you purchase. Most people can figure out how to lay down wood floors by following a few guides. It does help to have some background DIY knowledge, though.

You may also need some extra tools. It can be expensive to go out and purchase all the ones you need just for this project.

6. Give Them a Good Polishing

You can spruce up your concrete floors without even changing them altogether. Polished concrete floors look far different from unpolished floors – and they feel better on your feet too. They may still be cold, but they are incredibly inexpensive. If you want a budget option that makes your basement a little more livable, this is your best option.

You can get a professional to polish your floors, or you can rent a concrete polisher. You probably don’t want to purchase one just for this job!

7. Simple Tile

We’ve seen tiles with tons of wacky patterns, but you can choose a calmer tile as well. Selecting a plain white tile or something else straightforward and modest will usually keep your prices down. Plus, it is easier to lay, as you won’t notice mistakes as quickly. If one is a little crooked, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell right off the bat. If it was a patterned tile, you absolutely would be able to tell.

Tile is a bit more time consuming, especially if you’re tiling a large space. You also need many secondary materials, like spacers, so the costs can add up quickly.

8. Carpet Tiles

For a warm and cozy basement, consider carpet tiles. As you might imagine, these are tiles of carpet that can be laid quite easily at home. You can mix-and-match shades for a fun pattern or choose a solid color for a more traditional feel.

These things were made to be laid by homeowners, so they’re straightforward and affordable to use.

9. Rubber Tile

Depending on what you’re using your basement for, rubber tiles may be the best option for you. These are best for home gyms or areas that get a lot of playtime. They can take a lot of beating and are perfect for areas that will see rough usage.

They’re relatively cheap as well and are extremely easy to install. You just lay them down. Most people can get their floor covered in as little as a few hours.

Featured Image Credit: Anatoli Igolkin, Shutterstock