This blog post is sponsored. All opinions are mine.
It’s finally time to tackle our basement and I am so excited for this renovation! Turning our basement into a multifunctional space will meet our family’s needs and allow us to better use this space. This is a floor to ceiling renovation, with the floor being the starting point for it all!
How it was & why we decided to renovate
Our house is built on a slope as it is in the mountain of Saint-Bruno in Quebec, Canada. This means that our basement is above ground. This is very different from our previous house, and I must say I like the extra light and easy accessibility to the backyard. When we moved in, it was split into two spaces, one room and another with a kitchenette and a closet.
We turned the first space into a playroom for the kids for a while, and I used the other space mostly for storage and DIYs when I did not want to go to the garage. However, it was never functional and it was on our list of makeovers.
Two years in, the kids are growing and they now play with different things, so it was time to look into it.
The flooring was the first thing on our list to change, it was grey (which I didn’t like), floating and crooked in many spots, not to mention that it was badly installed. But, now that our needs changed, I wanted to open up the space to create one large room that would serve several purposes: playroom and family room, including a wet bar, storage, built-in space for our kitty’s food and litter and the official entry from the backyard.
Since the pool is a few feet away from the door of the basement, I always have liked for everyone to come in and out from there instead of from the living room patio door. This way, the house stays clean and the basement is where the high traffic in and out of the house happens. That said, it was another reason why I disliked the old flooring. I had to make sure there was no water on it all the time, making sure the kids put their flip flops and shoes or boots in the winter on the little tiled space right by the door…. Let me tell
you, this would drive me crazy with the number of times they’d go in and out in a day! So I knew that choosing the flooring very carefully would be the most important point and where I needed to start.
Additionally, like all basements in general, this is where there could be the most water flooding, more humidity and so on. So, going with a waterproof option feels best for a basement!
Flooring selection
I’m very happy to have been working with Element Flooring on this project. I loved the wide selection of flooring they have, both hardwood and Rigid Core Waterproof flooring. My immediate attention went on the Armor SPC Rigid Vinyl Flooring Collection. Waterproof? Yes please!!
This was THE word that made me look further. How convenient is it for the flooring in the basement to be waterproof! No more constantly cleaning dripping water, mud or snow from the boys’ shoes.. yay!!! As I looked through the Rigid Core Waterproof collection, my second criteria was aesthetics and how it fits with the rest of our home. I still wanted the look of wood and a light color. Even though the basement is above ground, there isn’t as much natural light as elsewhere in the house with only two smaller windows.
So, Element Flooring sent me a few samples to look at and I was able to see what would work best in the space. I decided to go with the Almond Rigid Core Waterproof Planks. I like the color, the veining and loved that the planks are wide (6.62 in.) for a sleeker and more modern look.
In addition, the flooring has the look of real wood, is anti-microbial and has hypoallergenic properties. It is scratch and stain resistant and is guaranteed for life.
All the boxes were checked!
Next: determining what we needed
Thinking of how we’ll use the space was another major element before moving forward. So, opening up the wall between the two spaces made the space bigger and let in more natural light. I wanted to convert the kitchenette area into a wet bar. We have a secondary fridge in the basement where we keep drinks and fruits and so on, and I wanted to keep it – so much easier to grab what we need from there when we’re in the backyard than having to go up to the kitchen (and the house stays clean as a bonus 😊).
We also needed more storage, a place to lounge, watch TV and play games, but also a space to store the kids’ games and toys and a table to do crafts and so on. Since I did not want to rip everything apart, I wanted to update what I had and add what was missing.
Installing the flooring
When we removed the old flooring, we had to deal with a few surprises… mainly water coming through one wall, a crooked subfloor in some spaces, stairs that were not levelled and a few other surprises I’ll be sharing another time!
So we had to remove a good portion of the subfloor and joists, clean, disinfect, have the water issue fixed, then start rebuilding the joists and subfloor… the joys of renovation… there’s always a surprise or more somewhere!!
This took quite some time, more than what we expected because there were many things to be fixed. We had to redo some of the electrical work, put the stairs and floor to level, isolate and more! When all this was done, and the walls closed, we started installing the flooring.
The flooring comes in pieces of 5.5mm thick and 6.62×48″ long. Installing it is super easy, it has an attached pad and a click lock tongue and groove, so it is very easy to install and does not require any special tools or experience.
It took us a few hours to install all the flooring as the space is quite big. When you need to cut pieces to fit a certain space, simply measure, use a utility knife and bend to break the piece.
Keep clipping the pieces together until you’re done! Voilà!
The result is stunning!
We love the new look, it feels more airy and light. It looks great and I know that it does not require the extra care and attention other flooring may require. Although I love hardwood floors and this is what we have throughout the house, I am so happy with this flooring that combines both aesthetics and function.
Do I recommend it? Definitely, yes!
Would I redo it again? For sure!
Element Flooring has kindly given me a code for readers to take advantage of 10% off any product on their website. So, if you’re looking to install new flooring, and if you’re a resident of the US, check them out:
CODE: LIVANDBLOOM2022