Best Flooring Types for Concrete Slab: Plus Pros/Cons & Costs

When you decide what type of flooring to put on top of concrete slab in your home you are essentially working with a blank slate. There are several types of material you can choose from. All of them have pros and cons, but some types are definitely more appealing to most homeowners than others.

The best flooring to put on top of concrete slab are luxury vinyl planks (LVP), luxury vinyl tiles (LVT), ceramic tiles or stone. These flooring types work the best with concrete slab and are the most durable in line with their price. While these four flooring types are normally superior, you may also consider engineered wood products, laminate flooring or carpet as possible options.

There is a lot to consider when you are choosing what type of floor you want to put over concrete slab. First you have the aesthetic appeal to consider. After all, you want it to look great. You also need to think about how long the floor will last, how well it will insulate and how much it will all cost. We made the chart below in order to get an idea of some of the basics about each major flooring type that goes over concrete slab.

Concrete appears, on the surface, to be a very dense and impermeable material. However, concrete can be a moisture problem under the flooring. Concrete tends to absorb moisture from the air and from the soil beneath during times of high humidity. The wet ground under a concrete slab is almost always a guarantee for problems.

Basement slabs can be a bigger headache when it comes to moisture. Basements are prone to flooding and leaking during wet seasons if not installed and sealed correctly. This can lead to major problems with the flooring that is not resistant to moisture.

Finishing concrete is more of an art than a science. Getting large slabs of concrete flat and smooth requires skill and attention to detail. Unfortunately, some concrete contractors may rush the finish and leave you with a concrete slab that is wavy or uneven. Concrete that isn’t finished properly may spall or flake, making installing flooring an even bigger challenge.

Hard floor coverings such as tile and stone need well-finished and flat concrete slabs. Some types of flooring, such as LVT or LVP, may adapt better to uneven slab finishes. However, you should expect any high spots in the slab to show wear in any type of flooring quicker than other parts of the floor.

Concrete is a hard, dense material. The insulation value of concrete is minimal, but its location on the ground is the biggest problem. In extremely cold climates, concrete slabs can seem colder as the concrete transmits the cold up into the house. A flooring or flooring installation that adds thermal insulation can be a wise choice in some climates.

Comfort is a key element when you choose your flooring. Some flooring types have more insulating value than others. In some situations, underfloor heating can combat cold floors and heat loss through a concrete slab.

Luxury Vinyl Tile or Luxury Vinyl Planks are a manufactured flooring product made by layering various materials to create the base of the tile or plank. The base layer is usually a water-resistant material. This is different from waterproof but does provide a high degree of resistance to damage from moisture.

On top of these base layers are the vinyl. The tile or plank’s pattern, color, or design is printed onto this vinyl layer before applying a protective finish. The most critical part of choosing a Luxury Vinyl Tile or Plank product is the thickness of the protective layer on the tile or planks. Residential LVP or LVT products typically have a protective layer between 6 mils and 30 mils. A 12 mil protective layer is at the top of the list for residential installations.

Luxury vinyl tile and plank are suitable for almost any location or use in your home. The construction of these flooring types makes them highly resistant to water. Many LVT and LVP products can be installed in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundries without a problem.

The finishes on LVP and LVT also make them useful in high traffic areas such as hallways and entryways. If you wish to install LVP or LVT in a basement where flooding may be an issue, special installation techniques can help protect the tiles or planks. Consult with a professional flooring installer for their best recommendations for these types of installation

In general, you can expect luxury vinyl tile or plank to cost between $4 and $7 per square foot. If you opt for thicker protective surfaces or special finishes, the cost can go up accordingly. In most cases, this $4 to $7 estimate will include professional installation.

Installation costs can rise if the concrete slab in your home requires special preparation before the LVT or LVP is laid. This can include filling cracks or repairing spalled concrete, applying special sealers and waterproofing materials, or removing adhesives used with the old flooring.

Tile and stone are probably the most durable floor coverings you can apply to a concrete slab. Some tile and stone products can be expected to last 100 years under normal use and with proper maintenance.

In general, porcelain tiles are stronger than ceramic tiles. This makes porcelain tiles more resistant to chipping or cracking than ceramic tiles. Stone tiles vary in their hardness and durability. If you want the look of natural stone tiles, consulting with an expert in stone flooring is a good idea.

Tile and stone floors do require regular maintenance. The grout used between most tiles should be regularly cleaned and repaired. Some types of stone tiles must be deep cleaned and sealed to maintain their appearance. This can be an added cost to maintaining tile or stone flooring.

Installing tile or stone over a concrete slab is more time-consuming than other types of flooring. Tile and stone are not forgiving or uneven concrete slabs or concrete slabs with damage such as cracks or spalling. These problems must be remedied before the tile is installed. This can add to the cost of the installation.

On average, you can expect to pay between $5 and $30 per square foot to install tile or stone in your home. In many instances, the cost of installation is included in the cost of the tile. Check with your flooring dealer about installation costs.

Laminate flooring is a popular choice for installing over concrete slabs. The realistic look for laminate flooring appeals to those who want the look of real wood floors. Real hardwood floors cannot be installed directly on concrete making laminate flooring a good alternative.

New manufacturing technologies have brought laminate flooring from the realm of a cheap look-alike product to flooring that is almost indistinguishable from real hardwood flooring. The construction of laminates has also seen new technologies that make this flooring more durable and more water-resistant.

Laminate flooring is not waterproof. Some new types of laminate flooring are advertised as water-resistant. However, it is not recommended that laminate flooring be laid directly over concrete. A moisture barrier should be installed between the laminate flooring and the concrete.

Areas that are prone to exposure to water are not good candidates for laminate flooring. Areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and mudrooms are not where laminate flooring will work well. The construction of laminate flooring makes them prone to buckling, swelling, or delaminating when exposed to water or other liquids.

Laminate flooring is relatively durable. Under most circumstances, you can expect a laminate floor installation to last 10 to 20 years with proper maintenance and care. A routine vacuuming, sweeping, and mopping is all that is necessary to upkeep a laminate floor.

Suppose laminate is installed in high traffic areas such as hallways or entryways. In that case, you may notice more rapid wear on the surface finish. Higher quality laminate flooring has thicker surface protection coatings that can mitigate this normal wear and tear.

Laminate flooring should be installed with a vapor barrier between the flooring and the concrete slab. This will help prevent the laminate from absorbing moisture from the concrete slab. A good vapor barrier will also help with the noise associated with some laminate flooring.

In general, the concrete slab should be clean and flat for a good laminate flooring installation. Most new laminate flooring is not glued or attached to the concrete slab. Instead, the laminate panels lock together on the edges and float on the concrete slab. A good vapor barrier will eliminate some of the movement and noise.

Many homeowners successfully install laminate flooring themselves. The methods of installation are simple, and the flooring goes in quickly in most instances. This makes laminate flooring a budget-friendly option for many families.

Carpets can be problematic where moisture infiltration occurs through the concrete slab. In almost every instance, padding of some sort is installed between the carpet and the concrete substrate. If moisture in your home is a problem, adding a waterproof moisture barrier under the carpet padding is necessary.

Carpet is forgiving of imperfections in the concrete slab of your home. However, cracks and other imperfections may be noticeable in the carpet or lead to abnormal wear patterns. Proper surface preparation is essential for the long-term health of your carpet.

Carpet is probably the least durable of the floor coverings we consider. High-traffic areas can begin to show wear in just a few years. Normally, carpeting should last between 5 to 15 years, depending on where it is installed.

Carpet does require more maintenance than other types of floor coverings. Frequent vacuuming will keep your carpet looking fresh and new. Periodic cleaning by a professional carpet cleaner is also recommended. Avoid the homeowner’s do-it-yourself carpet cleaning machines. These machines can leave too much moisture and cleaning agents in your carpet.

Carpeting typically costs $4 to $11 per square foot. However, premium styles and pile thicknesses can run more, and wool carpets tend to be on the upper end of the price range. You should also figure the cost of underlayment and padding. Typically carpet padding costs on average $1.75 per square foot.

Installation is also an additional cost and runs between $1 and $4 per square foot. Installing carpets is not usually a project that homeowners can tackle. You are well-advised to allow professionals to install your carpets for the best results.

Unlike laminate flooring, which mimics wood, engineered wood flooring has real wood on the finished layer. The wood is typically laminated to a substrate that can be vinyl or other stable material. The thickness of the wood layer determines the quality of the engineered wood flooring.

The substrate is usually a core board that provides strength and stability to the real wood laminated to the top. A protective coating or layer is applied to the wood surface. This construction makes engineered wood flooring more moisture-resistant and suitable for installation on concrete slabs.

Generally, installing an engineered wood floor is much like installing a laminate floor. A vapor barrier or underlayment is recommended between the concrete slab and the flooring. Some engineered wood flooring is glued to the concrete surface and requires different methods.

When the engineered wood flooring is glued to the concrete slab, particular attention to cleaning and preparing the concrete surface is necessary. Ensuring that the slab is level and even and that any imperfections are corrected is imperative.

A new option for concrete slabs is an epoxy coating over a stained or painted concrete surface. This eliminates the need for another layer of flooring over the concrete and can produce very elegant and attractive floors.

Not really a floor covering, Epoxy finishes are versatile, limited only by your imagination and the applicator’s skill. The stain under the epoxy coating can mimic stone, tile, or a solid color. The epoxy surface helps deal with uneven concrete and other surface blemishes and damage.