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We have a ratty old wall to wall carpet in our basement that I have convinced my partner needs to come up and be replaced. It is just carpet and adhesive on top of the concrete slab. The twist here: by way of replacement, her strong preference is to get a large sheet of vinyl flooring, roll it out and staple it along the perimeter and call it done.
There is no denying this is indeed about the cheapest option out there short of leaving the concrete exposed. I have done a few different floors elsewhere in the house, from true hardwood to vinyl plank to peel and stick, but never vinyl sheet. Is this going to be cheap and cheerful but, ultimately, acceptable (her perception) or is it going to be like walking on a tarp (mine)?
The back half of our basement is partially underground. When we had the house inspected, our inspector told us it was one of the dryest basements he had seen in a while, yet despite this, the old bag test (placing a grocery bag in the back) did have very small traces of moisture in it if you looked closely.
At the hardware store they told us vinyl with underlayment attached would be good enough but do I need to also buy a vapor barrier? Is that overkill?
We bought a small dehumidifier as well for the back area where it's wetter so hopefully that helps.