(VIDEO) Comparison of Basement Finishing Materials

Because of groundwater and the always present possibility of a flood, leak or water accident, the materials used to finish the walls, floors, and ceilings of your basement should be able to stand up to water and moisture.

In the video below, Larry Janesky, owner and president of Total Basement Finishing, will show you how different basement finishing materials react when exposed to water and typical basement humidity.

For the experiment featured in the video, a testing environment was created to simulate a basement plumbing leak and was used to test four flooring and four wall materials commonly used in basement finishing projects.

For the floors, they compared:

• Typical wood decking under carpet or regular laminate.
• A basement subfloor product sold in hardware stores consisting of a chip-board with a dimpled plastic mat on the bottom.
• ThermalDry Insulated Floor Decking, which is an inorganic magnesium oxide board insulated with rigid foam insulation, developed and sold exclusively by Total Basement Finishing.

For the walls, the following assemblies were tested:

• Wood studs, fiberglass insulation, and drywall, with a wood baseboard (the most common wall assembly in the U.S.).
• Metal studs, fiberglass insulation, water, and mold-resistant drywall, and a pre-primed wood baseboard.
• Total Basement Finishing's EverLast Basement Wall System, which is a vinyl-finished cement board insulated with rigid foam, and a PVC baseboard.
• Total Basement Finishing's Smart Wall Panels, which are a variation of the EverLast panels, consisting of continuous rigid foam board insulation installed against the wall, with attached metal studs over the foam board, to hang a vinyl-finished cement board, and a PVC baseboard.

Based on the results of the experiment, Total Basement Finishing products clearly outperform traditional basement finishing materials. All Total Basement Finishing products are specifically designed for basement conditions; and to meet that standard they are resistant to moisture damage, mold, and mildew, meaning you can trust that your basement will always be clean, dry, and healthy.

If you're interested in finishing or remodeling your basement with Total Basement Finishing, schedule a design consultation with your local dealer today!