Someone asked me the other day if we had a sump pump for our basement. I said, no, we never get that much water…and then of course we got hit. Our basement is half finished, so luckily the water stayed mostly in the unfinished part. But because we’re thinking about finishing off the rest of it, I want a floor that is more durable than carpet, which is what we have now.

I just had a stone laminate floor installed in a client’s home similar to this one:

Laminate wasn’t my first choice but it fit the budget, and now that it’s in, I have to say it looks great. It is very hard to tell it isn’t stone. It’s durable and made from post consumer materials. We opted for a stone look but there are lots of nice looking wood options out there too.

The choice I’m really leaning towards though is stained concrete. There are so many color choices to chose from, and I can just throw down rugs where I need them. If the rugs get wet, I can get them cleaned.

Both laminate flooring and stained concrete would work well if we ever get water again. And if we do, then maybe I’ll finally think about that sump pump.