Rugs, Carpets and Carpeting - Basement Carpeting

I'm finally nearing completion of finishing my basement myself. I plan to use tile in the bar area and carpeting else where. At first I was going to have wall to wall carpeting professionally installed, but then I thought I would just have them carpet the stairs only. I was thinking of using Legato carpet squares for the rest of the carpeted areas and doing it myself.

What other products do you recommend that I look at instead of Legato? The subfloor is just concrete. How do I attach a transition piece when I go from carpet (in the main room) back to the concrete floor in the storage room?

You'll probably regret it in the end. Legato is NOT cheap when you work it out and from what I understand can look like it is - Pieces of carpet put together. An inexpensive Berber installed over a premium cushion will suit your budget bettter in my opinion.


Art

from a decorating standpoint: it will look tacky to have the stairs in one carpet and the room in a different carpet (yes, even if they're "really similar"). An inexpensive berber would look great, and it doesn't mat or crush, and if you get it speckled enough, or with a pattern, it doesn't show dirt much either.

it sounds like you've done a LOT of work on this space, and since there's a tiled bar area, it sounds like it's going to be a place you'll be spending some time in and entertaining your friends in. don't drop the ball now on something that is sooooo visible. do the carpet right and make it a space you can be proud of!

Thanks for the input. We're planning on getting quotes to have wall-to-wall installed and then have them break the quote into 3 areas (stairs, office, main room). I've been playing with the $$$ for the Legato carpet system and have guesstimated that it would be somewhere between $1050 and $1300 to do it this way. Based on this, probably for another $100-$200 or so, we can get a thicker/better pad and have it professionally installed.

i would love to hear from someone who has seen the carpet tiles firsthand. i can't imagine that the seams don't show!!!

i actually think that stuff would be kind of fun in a basement used by kids, more of a rec room/play room, and using several different colors or just 2 colors in a checkerboard pattern. but using all one color, i'd be really impressed if the seams were invisible.

anyone seen it firsthand?

I was researching the Legato Tiles and came across your thread here. Since I went out and purchased them today, and installed them tonight, I thought I'd come back and reply.

I found them relatively easy to do (for a do-it-yourself home remodeling beginner).

I started about 8pm and finished up about midnight (including clean-up and vacuuming). The room was 10x13 with an additional 3x3 hallway (about 140 square feet). Did is by myself.

You HAVE to install them according to instructions. Don't try to bypass steps or ignore the instructions. The hardest part is the cutting and fitting around doorways and in the corners.

Right after installing them, you do see the seams from certain angles. This is supposed to go away with normal wear and vaccuuming. The better you fit the tiles together, the less the seams show, but I found this harder to do than the instructions make it seem.

All-in-all I'm happy with the results. I think it's a good alternative for a kids room, or for a home with pets. In my case, we had to throw a whole carpet away because of an old cat that was peeing on it for a while. We had to throw away the carpet, soak the floor in bleech, scrap up old carpet glue (from previous owner), clean and clean again -- the carpet tiles were a good choice for us just in CASE the cat does it again -- at least we won't have to throw the whole damn carpet away... just replace a few tiles.

Hope that helps! If you decide to go with Legato, let me know what you think.

Amy

Amy:

thanks so much for sharing your experience with us! now, if you wouldn't mind, i'd like for you to post back in a week, or a month, or whenever you feel like the seams have become invisible. (if ever!) i would think that after a few weeks of traffic & vacuuming, the fibers would meld together enough to hide any seams, but i'd like to hear from you firsthand. the seams are the #1 concern everyone is having with those tiles.

so, if you wouldn't mind, please post back here!!!!

thanks!

P.S. also, what type of carpet did you get? plush or berber or what? thx!

I have a 5-yr. old house that I'm finishing the basement. I want to put in carpet but not sure what kind -- meaning nylon vs. poly, oz., density, etc. I want textured carpet that will hold up well and look nice. I'm going with the blue micro-ban, 8# pad on the concrete. I don't have a moisture problem. Can anyone recommend what type of middle-of-the road carpet would do well in a basement environment? I don't want to spend a lot, but don't want poor quality either.