I have a full walkout basement where the front portion is entirely below grade and the back portion is entirely at grade level. The house is 45 years old and located near Chicago. I've owned it for 1+ years, and have noticed no water problems in the basement. We really want the space to feel like it's part of the rest of the house, not like a finished basement. This will be a high traffic area, as it leads from the garage to the stairs to the rest of the house.
I've heard hardwood is bad and that bamboo would be good.
I've heard that I need a subfloor built out of 2x2's, foam insulation, and sturdifloor plywood. I've heard I need a subfloor built out of pressure treated plywood glued directly to the concrete. I've heard that I need no subfloor and can just blue the engineered bamboo directly to the concrete.
I've heard that the floor should be glued down, nailed down, and I've heard it should be left floating.
I had thought that bamboo would be a good fit because it is warmer than tile, more stable when the humidity changes, and wears well in traffic areas. Are these assumptions correct?
Can anyone out there help me sort all of this out? I'm inclined to go with bamboo if it is appropriate for this project.
Thanks!
Scott
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