When I insulate my basement floor with rigid foam board, what are some of the flooring options to put on top. I just want to stay away from any kind of wood for the subfloor and floor because wood is vulnerable to moisture.

 

Ceramic tile would be nice but the idea is to correct any moisture problems first. That starts on the outside of the house.

 

Have you done a moisture test yet? Lay a foot square of plastic on floor and tape it down. Wait a couple days and see if water beads up under plastic.

 

If you can't prevent or eliminate the moisture problem there are flooring that can be used. Tarket makes a vinyl flooring that is impervious to water. If submerged for any length of time it can be reused over and over again. No glue or backing is required as it is a free floating floor. Can be put on top of almost any other surface as long as it's generally level (it can accommodate slight imperfections on the surface). Highly recommend it for a moisture prone area.

 

Is the rigid insulation going over an existing slab or is this a new slab that's poured over the rigid insulation?

If the insulation is going over an existing slab, you're going to want some type of board sheathing and vapor barrier over the insulation. Maybe a cement board like 1/2" Durock; you'll want something like galvanized metal studs the same thickness as the insulation to attach the CB to. You'll also want an insulation with good compressive strength, at least 25 psi. But at the end of the day, it might be more foolproof to put down a vapor barrier over the insulation and just pour a 2" to 3" concrete topping over that. Concrete over rigid insulation is a tried and true method, whereas the other is not (although I think it would work).

 

Be aware that you will need to build a floor on top of the insulation, cant install anything directly onto it.

My opinion, this is really a expensive option, depends on what your plans are for the space.

We carpeted our basement with a quality basement pad and with the walls insulated the winter temps without any added heat went from the low 50's to mid 60's (it's a daylight).

Like any insulated structure, the highest benefit is up, then out, and last is down!

 

Yup, foam board over unfinished floor. I don't want metal studs touching floor. Concrete is porous, only plastic material can touch it, so no wood, metal, fabric (such as carpet).

 

OK, so how are you going to build walls if you dont use metal or plastic studs?

 

Use PT for any wood touching concrete. It is code up here in NH. I'm using PT for the bottom plate of my basement wall framing.

 

Look into flooring that is vinyl click lock over a pvc core with a cork backing. Just did a whole floor in it. Impervious to water and installed over a 4-6mil vapor barrier. I can't give you a brand name as the store we purchased it from had a generic name that only applies to them as a house brand. But google options using the above criteria and you should get hits.