Many people want to make the best use of their basement. After all what is the point of having that room in the house if you cannot use it for anything other than storing boxes? This is especially true if the basement is a large one, and has the potential to be turned into a really nice living space or a place where the kids can play. The trouble with the basement is that the floor is usually concrete and therefore you need to lay down some kind of floor that is more comfortable. Another problem is that the basement is often slightly damp, and laying down something like carpet would end up with mold growing and a fairly unhealthy environment.

One of the best solutions to this problem is to fit a floating cork floor. What this entails is essentially building a floor slightly above the real floor in the basement, so that the actual floor you walk on does not really touch the ground. The floor only needs to be about three or four inches above the concrete floor in order to keep it away the damp, and the damp can be kept more at bay by making sure you fit a good damp course.

The other advantage of using this kind of flooring option is that cork is also very warm to the touch naturally. Even if you walk on it in bare feet you will usually find it warm enough to walk on, and by installing just some minimal heating in your basement you may find that the floor is a very comfortable temperature. Another advantage of cork is that it is a very natural material, which means that in many cases there are no chemicals present, which can be very good for people with allergies.

The only thing you need to be careful when fitting a floating cork floor is that you leave enough room for the cork to expand when the temperature rises, as it certainly will. But if you keep this simple point in mind you may well find that you can fit the floor yourself, rather than relying on a professional. Do this and you may find that you will soon have a basement that adds a really great extra living space to your home.