Basement Flooring in DeSoto TX - a floor chosen for what your slab can handle
Damp concrete, musty smells or a floor that keeps lifting? We test the slab first, then put down a floor that suits it.
What should you know before putting a new floor in your DeSoto basement?
Basement flooring in DeSoto means laying a new floor, such as luxury vinyl planks, laminate, engineered wood or tile, over the concrete slab of a basement or another room below ground level. How well that floor holds up depends on how much water vapor rises through the slab, so we look at the concrete before we talk about the floor.
Most people call us because they want a finished room downstairs, and some call because the floor down there is already lifting or smells damp. Before we talk about a floor, I ask whether water has ever come in and we test the slab for moisture, because a leak should be repaired first and the test shows which floors your slab can carry. The price moves with the size of the room, the floor you choose, what has to come up first, how much grinding and surface preparation the concrete needs and whether the test calls for a moisture barrier, while the schedule turns mostly on any water repair and on city inspections if the job has them. DeSoto requires permits to alter or repair a building and for electrical, plumbing and similar work, and it asks every contractor to register with it each year, so you can direct questions about registration to the city's Building Inspections Department. When a job needs a permit, we pull it ourselves, and if we aren't sure, we check with that office before we quote. We're licensed and insured.
How do you know your basement floor needs attention?
A basement floor usually tells you when the slab underneath is wet or the floor on top isn't coping. These are the things homeowners tell us they've noticed when they call.
Planks curling up at the edges or forming shallow dips usually mean moisture is coming up through the slab.
Laminate that has puffed up or started to separate tells you vapor has been working on it for a while.
Tile or vinyl that lifts, rocks or comes loose often points to adhesive that gave out over damp concrete.
A white, chalky film on grout or bare concrete is usually salt left behind as moisture works through.
A musty smell or a floor that feels cool and damp underfoot can mean the slab is holding water.
Puddles or water lines along the walls after a heavy rain mean water is getting in, and that comes first.
If water has ever come into the room, please call us before you buy any flooring, because a leak changes which floor makes sense for you.
What happens when you call us about a basement floor in DeSoto?
Here is how a basement floor job runs with us, from your first call to the final walk-through, and where the city's rules shape the schedule.
Call or send the form
Please call (972) 450-9481 or send the form, and we'll find a time for me to come out to your house. I come out myself, because I want to see the slab before anyone talks numbers.
I measure and test the slab
I look at the floor, measure the room, ask how you use the space and test the slab for moisture. You then get a written estimate that names each step and includes the test results, so you can see what each part of the price is for before you decide.
Our crew preps and installs
Our own small crew prepares the concrete and puts the floor down, and I'm on site running the job. DeSoto allows work near homes from 7 am to 6 pm on weekdays, 8 am to 6 pm on Saturdays and 9 am to 5 pm on Sundays without heavy equipment, so we set our days inside those hours.
We clean up and walk it
We clean up, I walk the finished floor with you, and the work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. If the job carries a permit, the city inspects before anything gets covered and again at completion, and we plan our work around those visits.
Get a written basement floor estimate with your moisture results
Once you send the form, we reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done at your property, given to you in writing and carries no obligation.
- Call
- (972) 450-9481
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Basement floor types and what slab moisture does to them
Over a slab that keeps giving off water vapor, laminate tends to delaminate, which is when it splits into layers, vinyl planks cup, wood swells and glue-down adhesives let go. Tile set in mortar holds up better, but it can still pick up efflorescence, that white salty stain, over a damp slab. That's why I'd rather know what your slab is doing before I recommend any of them.
The moisture test also decides what goes between the slab and the floor. One engineered wood maker requires a vapor retarding system, a layer that slows moisture, when the slab tests above its limit, so your result can add that layer to the job. Once you've chosen a floor, its maker's instructions decide how we put it down.
Whatever goes on top, the concrete underneath has to be clean and sound, because a floor is only as good as the slab under it, and I'd rather turn down a job than put a floor where it won't hold. If the room is mostly storage or a workshop, you may not need a covering at all, and concrete sealing can be a simpler way to finish the bare slab.
Basement flooring questions from DeSoto homeowners
Does my basement need repairs before new flooring goes in?
Yes, if liquid water has ever come in through a leak or seepage, that has to be dealt with before any floor is chosen. Planning the water repair as the first stage keeps a new floor from being ruined by the same problem, and I'll tell you at the estimate if I see signs of it.
What is the best flooring for a damp basement slab?
The best approach is to test the slab first and choose the floor around the result, because most floors suffer over a slab that keeps giving off vapor, as the floor types section above explains. If you want a wood look, one maker's guide says its engineered hardwood can be installed below grade, in rooms under ground level, so it's a real option once the slab checks out.
Will a flooring installer test my basement slab for moisture?
They should, because the wood flooring trade association calls moisture testing required practice regardless of conditions and says wood should only go in where there's no known moisture problem. One engineered wood maker also requires the results to be written down and made available to the homeowner before installation, and we give you ours in writing.
How much does basement flooring cost in the Dallas area?
Flooring installation in Dallas usually costs about $1,700 to $5,500 per job, which is what the market charges to install a floor, not our own price. Where a basement lands depends on the size of the room, the floor you choose, how much prep the slab needs and whether a moisture barrier goes in. We work in DeSoto and the cities around it, and your written estimate gives you the figure for your own room.
How do I check if my DeSoto home is in a flood zone?
The city's floodplain management page sends residents to FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, where you can search by your address. It's worth a look while you plan a basement floor, and if you've had water before, please tell me when we talk.
How do I get old vinyl flooring out of my basement safely?
Ask how it will be taken up before work starts, because one flooring maker's guide warns that removing old resilient floors such as vinyl can release asbestos and silica. That guide points installers to the resilient flooring industry's recommended work practices, and I'll go over how we'd handle your old floor at the estimate.
Concrete work that often comes before a basement floor
Concrete Grinding & Surface Preparation
If your slab has old glue, paint, high spots or rough patches, grinding it clean and flat gives a new basement floor a sound surface to bond to.
Concrete Sealing
When a basement is mostly storage or a workroom, sealing the bare concrete can be a simpler finish that keeps dust down and cleans up easily.
Please call or email about your basement floor
If you call (972) 450-9481 or email quotes@desotoepoxyflooringandconcretepolishing.com with the room's size, the floor that's down now and any past water problems, I can come out already knowing what to look for.
Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM