20 Incredible Finished Basements with Hardwood Flooring

Your basement is your playroom, your craft room, your entertainment space, your man cave, whatever you want to create out of the space. If you have plans to finish it off to make it a livable space and a place you can use on a regular basis, you will want to take into consideration, the type of flooring you install. You want it to be beautiful and functional, and suitable for a basement dwelling. One of the most popular types of flooring for many rooms in the home, including a basement, is hardwood. It is beautiful, sturdy, durable and it can go with just about any type of décor theme you can dream up. So how do you choose the right type of hardwood flooring for your basement? With so many different types of woods and colors of woods, here are some things to consider when looking for hardwood flooring for your finished basement.

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1. Subflooring

While it is possible to install hardwood flooring directly onto the concrete flooring or slab that already exists in your basement by way of gluing it, a better option would be to install a subflooring first. Your basement is below ground, which is always a risk of flooding issues, or at the very least, moisture issues. Hardwood flooring is easily damaged by water and moisture, so to help give your wood flooring the best chance, bypass the concrete and have a subflooring laid before installing the hardwood.

2. What will your basement be used for?

You will want to consider what your basement will most be used for before choosing the type of hardwood and the color. If you have kids, pets, or plan to use it for a lot of entertaining, a lighter, harder oak might be the better option. Because hardwood is susceptible to scratches, dents, and chips, you will want a wood that is very hardy and doesn’t show imperfections quite as easy – not unless you plan to replace planks often, whenever your dog’s nails scratch the wood, or your children drop a toy and nick the wood. Darker woods, such as Cherry, are highly visible with imperfections. They also show dirt and dust build-up a lot more than lighter colors.

3. Style

Style will also play a role in your decision. If you have a certain theme throughout the rest of the home that you want to maintain in the basement, it may play a big role as to whether or not a darker wood or lighter wood would work and look better in the basement. You also may be going completely off the grid with the rest of the home, such as with a man cave, and having a whole new look and design, which will also play a role in what type of wood and color wood would work best. For more playful and casual looks, lighter oaks usually work better than rich, dark colored cherry woods or Mahogany. You may even want to consider breaking up the basement into sections and laying two different types of hardwood to give the room a breaking point for dual usage purposes.

No matter how you design your room, hardwood in your basement can be a great way to increase the value of your home. If you are looking for ideas, here are 20 incredible finished basements with hardwood flooring for you to view and draw inspiration from.