Flooring for a basement family room

Besides the wall to wall carpeting, what about a large high pile area rug?

Bite the bullet and pull the linoleum. Clean the asbestos out. Do the job right and put in the flooring you want. Flooring is literally the foundation of your design and will set a tone for the entire space. Don’t under estimate the power of a fabulous floor.

How about carpet squares? Easily interchangeable.

What I have done with tiles that were grungy, I cleaned them with inexpensive $1 oven cleaner. If you test it in an inconspicuous place and it does not eat the linoleum, you can proceed to put clear varnish, no less than 2 coats and it starts looking very glassy. Your finish coat can be some more expensive Spar Varnish that is waterproof. If your pattern is acceptable your floor will look like brand-spanking-new. Allen.

We put down LVP (luxury vinyl plank) flooring in our finished basement and love it. It is the new trend - looks like wood, affordable, easy to install, easy to care for and durable (I have 4 dogs). Be sure to seal the concrete first with a concrete sealer that your paint/roll on.

I agree that you are better off removing the linoleum before doing anything else. If there is an asbestos issue you will pay large amounts for a contractor to remove it but if you do it yourself you can save a lot of money. Once you have a clean space and since there may be a dampness problem, check out resin deck flooring placed on a grid to leave air space between the flooring and the concrete (?). You could also lay out heating coils and cover with floor tiles. Either way, you can always lay area rugs for extra "spot" warmth.

You could paint the flooring that is down and choose a design to stencil around the perimeter or use blue painters tape and make stripped designs, this might be the best way to avoid the issues you are concerned with...Check with your local DIY store for floor paint....

If you have a moisture problem deal with that first. Check to see if your down spouts are draining away from the house. Your yard is sloped away from the house. No cracked walls . Then you can deal with the floor. Both Home depo and Lows sell a plastic flooring that is similar to the PERGO type of product. Much preferred . It will not be affected by moisture. And can be laid on top of existing flooring.

Linoleum is still being made, in a wonderful variety of colors and styles. You have experienced how long it can last. Perhaps you could find a pattern you love, and find coordinating area rugs to define spaces. If there is a moisture padding available, use that. ☺️

Have you considered painting it. No removal issues and dry time would be the biggest factor. Outdoor paint for porches should work. You can get long handles for rollers and paint standing up.

I would put a floating floor over the linoleum, it will be an extra layer of cushioning and be raised above the dampness of the floor. Then you can put down any type of flooring you want. Some of the other suggestions about what to use on the floor were good, but put the floating floor in first.

how about a large area rug?

Thank you for all the suggestions. I appreciate everyone's input.

If it is 1930's it may have asbestos and should be removed by a professional. They suit and mask up and dispose of in a special dump site.