Need basement carpet install advice

We're preparing to carpet 50 sq. yards in the basement of a 2-yr old home we moved into recently. The basement slab is dry and there's no visible staining from water as far as I can see. We have sandy soil and gutters on the house. There are some cracks in the floor due to settling. I've been given a lot of advice from a few carpet vendors I've had bid on the install job, as well as some knowledge I've gained from the www. I have my eye on a relatively inexpensive 100% polypropelene berber at a local store, and an medium priced 8# pad. The pad upgrade to a hypoallergenic, mildew resistant 7/16" pad is an extra $390 (not attractive, since the total job quote is at $1200). I was thinking about sealing the concrete floor and caulking all the cracks and expansion joints in the floor with silicone caulk prior to the install, and having the installer glue the tacking strip to avoid making more holes in the slab. He suggested just putting 4 mil plastic down instead before the pad, since he thinks the basement will stay dry, if it's been dry for 2 yrs already.

Any advice on how to proceed with floor prep, pad choice, carpet choice, tips, etc....appreciated. thx.

 

man... if you are looking into installing in the basement you should use ThermalDry floor matting first...

that's the best stuff for basement floors...
www.thermaldrysystem.com

just take a look at the product... you can install the carpets right on top of the floor matting...

you will love it

 

If it has ben dry for two years, go ahead and carpet it. No vapor barrier, vapor barrier pad, carpet and it's cushion breathe enough to let moisture vapor emissions to pass through them. A vapor barrier will trap moisture under the carpet and cushion causing real problems.