Lay vinyl and seal it with silicone on the wall instead of using baseboards?

Hello,

I built a house with a basement 5 years ago, and two of my basement rooms still do not have a floor; practically only the screed applied at that time is there, which I don't find visually appealing. Therefore, I would like to lay vinyl flooring (click vinyl) in these rooms, not glued, but floating.

Now my question about the edge finish: instead of the usual baseboards on the walls, can I simply use sanitary silicone as an edge trim, or is there any reason against that? I am also concerned that if water should ever run onto the floor, it will not immediately seep into the screed and cause water damage.

Is there anything against this solution, or do you have better ideas? Thank you very much!

Floating = I assume it means floating - completely without water

Even if the plank should be waterproof, the click system is not. Then you have to maintain about 10mm distance (even if you consciously go below this, you still have to somehow squeeze the last plank in) from the wall during floating installation. A silicone joint looks modest next to its ineffectiveness and it also cracks quite quickly. If the wall, as expected, is not perfectly straight and angular, it gets even more unsightly.

For click vinyl, the classic way is as follows: (if necessary leveling compound,) vapor barrier (but it only helps against rising moisture), impact sound insulation, planks and baseboards at the edge to the wall.

If water leakage is likely, do it like the professionals in the bathroom: complete waterproofing layer with liquid sealing and then tiles on top and preferably provide a floor drain ;-) Or paint it with epoxy floor paint. It won’t make it homely, but more water-resistant...

Hello questioner.
First of all, the counter-question whether the two basement rooms were planned and executed as "subordinate rooms" or as living spaces in the original planning.
If the rooms were planned as, for example, laundry rooms or technical rooms, we find neither a sealing layer under the floor slab nor thermal insulation under the screed.
This would mean, on the one hand, cold feet in winter and, due to rising moisture (through the floor slab and wall surfaces), a not insignificant air humidity, which can (or will) have unpleasant consequences, especially in subsequently heated rooms.
To your question: No, elastic sealants fundamentally have no place in an expansion joint. This would impair the movement behavior of the floor covering (expansion or contraction), which in the simplest case will lead to a large, load-resistant bulge in the covering layer.
Penetrating water from spilled liquids represents a misuse situation. Sure, accidents can happen, but no flooring, regardless of type, has to withstand such exceptional situations without damage.
And a screed does not "soak up" when it comes into contact with a liquid medium once, that is simply exaggerated.
And leveling compound has the task of smoothing the screed surface. The leveling effect is negligible with flowing compounds.
This means if you were to cover a screed surface with click vinyl, you will later hear unpleasant crunching noises when walking on it, which are almost unavoidable on directly covered screed surfaces (without leveling compound).
This means in such a case: Removal of the top layer and subsequent application of the leveling compound.
In summary:
Laying a top covering (except tiles) directly on a screed surface without smoothing compound is not a good idea.
And sealing or filling the perimeter joint with silicone is also not!
Proper execution:
Sand and vacuum the screed surface, prime (dispersion primer) and apply leveling compound 2-3mm thick over the entire area.
Lay the top covering, leave a 6-8mm perimeter joint and cover the floor/wall transitions with a strip at a functional perimeter joint.
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Regards and much success: KlaRa

Hello,

thank you for your answers. The basement rooms are not heated and are really only secondary rooms. The click vinyl would not be laid directly, but with a corresponding impact sound insulation underneath. Is that sufficient, or do I need more?

I think I would then install baseboards, so the solution should be practical, or do I really need some filler compound in addition?

Do I really still need a filler compound?

I think I have already stated my opinion clearly on this.
If you are prepared to accept the consequences, then you can choose any installation method you like for your flooring.
Why a so-called impact sound insulation should be installed under a modular floor covering in a basement room is beyond my (professional) knowledge. Any room that cannot be heated is NOT a living space or is not defined as such.
However, without exception, all types of wood and wood-based floor coverings are designed and advertised for living spaces.
So if edge cracking appears soon on the floor elements in a non-heated room with a floor slab in contact with the ground, the trip to the complaint office of the specialist store where it was purchased is not worth it!
Because, as the later (and justified) argument goes, the floor covering was not installed in accordance with the material-specific installation instructions for proper use.
Once again:
Anyone who does not know the technical rules of installation and installs incorrectly on their own must accept the consequences.
Regards, KlaRa