Basements in Colorado are tricky. Between the dry winters, the snow melt, and the random humidity swings, floors down there take more abuse than anywhere else in the house. We’ve fixed enough failed installs to know where things go wrong. If you’re thinking about finishing or remodeling your basement, here’s what to avoid — and what to do instead — so you only do it once.
1) Thinking “below grade” doesn’t matter
A lot of homeowners treat basements like just another level. They’ll say, “We’ll run the same wood down there to match the upstairs.” It sounds simple, but below grade (meaning anything under ground level) behaves differently.
The concrete slab holds moisture even if it looks dry. In winter, it contracts. In summer, it pushes vapor up. Traditional solid hardwood hates that — it cups, gaps, and buckles.
That’s why we push engineered hardwood or LVP (luxury vinyl plank) for basements. Engineered has a stable plywood base that handles movement. LVP is fully waterproof, so it shrugs off small leaks and humidity swings. Tile’s great too if the space needs extra toughness.
Bottom line: what works upstairs doesn’t always work downstairs.
2) Skipping the moisture test
This one’s huge. We’ve seen plenty of “moisture-resistant” floors fail because no one tested the slab before install. You can’t tell by touch or color — concrete wicks vapor from underneath even if it looks bone dry on top.
A simple calcium chloride test or relative humidity reading tells you what’s really going on. If moisture is too high, you can still floor the space — you just need the right prep. A vapor barrier, sealer, or even a floating installation system keeps that moisture from wrecking your investment.
In older Arvada and Westminster homes, basements often read high because the vapor barrier under the slab wasn’t built to today’s standards. You plan for that — you don’t fight it.
3) Forgetting about headroom and transitions
You’d be surprised how many basements lose resale value because the ceiling ends up too low after the flooring goes in. Add an underlayment, then the floor, then another layer of underlayment under the next room — and suddenly your 8-foot ceiling is 7’8″. Tight spaces feel even smaller.
Before you buy flooring, measure your transitions: stairs, hallways, and door clearances. Sometimes a thinner engineered plank or glued-down LVP makes more sense than a click-together floating floor. The difference of a quarter-inch can save you from trimming every door and frame.
4) Installing wood without controlling humidity
Colorado’s air is dry, but basements can swing wildly depending on HVAC setup and weather. If you’re running wood (even engineered), it needs time to acclimate — 48 to 72 hours in the space before install — and the room should sit between 35–55% humidity. A cheap humidifier or dehumidifier can keep it there.
Skip that step and your brand-new floor could shrink or lift by spring. We’ve seen gaps wide enough to drop a dime through. It’s preventable — but only if you think ahead.
5) Treating basements like dry spaces
Even if you’ve never had a leak, you have to build like one could happen. Sump pumps fail. Hose bibs burst. Kids forget to shut off the sink. That’s why we favor tile or waterproof vinyl near utility rooms, bars, or bathrooms, and engineeredeverywhere else.
Add baseboard caulk or waterproof quarter-round where needed. It’s small stuff that makes the floor survive when something goes wrong. If you’re finishing the basement for resale, buyers love hearing “completely waterproof flooring.”
6) Using bargain materials meant for upstairs
Box-store laminate with a paper core doesn’t belong below grade. It swells from humidity changes and can’t be fixed. Once it bubbles, it’s done.
A better call is a rigid-core vinyl (SPC or WPC) or a proper engineered hardwood rated for below-grade install. It costs a bit more up front, but you’re not replacing it in three years. We see the cheap stuff fail constantly — especially in Broomfield and Erie homes built during the last boom where basements were finished fast with whatever was on sale.
7) Ignoring noise and comfort
Concrete is cold and loud. You can fix both with underlayment, but not all underlayments are equal. Foam helps with comfort; cork or rubber does better with sound. If you’re putting in a home office, gym, or media room, choose underlayment for function, not just cost.
Pro tip: even with waterproof LVP, use an underlayment that allows vapor diffusion instead of trapping moisture. Otherwise, the “quiet” floor starts smelling musty by the second winter.
8) Poor prep before tile
Tile is bulletproof when it’s installed right. It’s a nightmare when it’s not. The biggest mistake: setting it straight on a slab that isn’t flat. Concrete always moves a little, and Denver’s clay soils don’t help. If we don’t use a crack-isolation membrane, the grout will start spidering within a year.
We also see folks skip expansion joints — another short-term “savings” that costs big later. A proper tile floor downstairs lasts decades. A rushed one lasts one winter.
9) Forgetting lighting and color balance
Basements eat light. A dark walnut that looked beautiful upstairs can make the basement feel like a cave. Go lighter down here — natural oak, light gray-beige blends, or pale tile. You’ll get better reflection from artificial lighting, and the space feels bigger instantly.
Color balance is part of design, not decoration. Even a mid-tone engineered hardwood flooring in Denver homeowners love can be softened with satin sheen to keep it from looking heavy.
10) Not thinking about future access
If your basement hides plumbing cleanouts or floor drains, you need to plan for them before the floor goes down. We build discreet access panels or use click-together sections that can be lifted later. It saves a headache when you need a plumber. Permanent glue-down over cleanouts? That’s just expensive regret.
How to get it right the first time
We always start with a walkthrough. We test moisture, check level, talk about use, and look for signs of past leaks. Then we design the floor for what that basement actually is — not what someone wishes it was.
Sometimes that means mixing materials: tile at the bar, LVP in the game room, engineered wood in the home office.We color-match transitions, keep heights consistent, and use sealants or membranes wherever needed. It’s not the glamorous part of flooring, but it’s the difference between “done” and “done right.”
What you can expect cost-wise
Basement installs are usually a little more than upstairs jobs because of prep. Plan roughly:
- $5–$7 per sq. ft. for quality LVP or engineered hardwood installs
- $8–$10 per sq. ft. for tile with proper prep and crack isolation
- Extra for moisture mitigation if your slab reads high
The good news: if the prep is solid, the floor’s lifespan easily doubles what a quick job delivers.
The bottom line
Basements don’t forgive mistakes. You either build for moisture and movement, or you rebuild later. If you’re ready to finish yours, plan materials and prep like it’s an investment, not a project.
You’ll never regret doing it right once. You’ll absolutely regret doing it cheap twice.