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I am working on a home for a customer where the lower floor makes use of the basement space. The foundation extends 4′ into the ground with about 4′ of wall above forming a daylight basement with large horizontal windows. The ground is sandy and well drained. Good perimiter drains were installed inside and out of the footings. The concrete floor is on an 8″ bed of stone followed by vapor barrier and a 3″ layer of sand. The homeowner works as an engineer doing structural anaylisis of concrete and ground compaction studies for comercial and governmental projects and had the foundation installed. The question in my mind was a lack of insulation below the floor. The house has conventional hot water baseboard heat.
In the humid weather we are having there is considerable condensation showing up on the concrete floor in rooms scheduled to be carpeted as bedrooms. The original plan called strapping sleepers to be installed on the floor with plywood over them and then the carpet. This seems to me to be a perfect place for mildew and rot. We have discussed mildew resistant paints and waterproofing methods but I doubt if they will cure the problem. Are there any suggestions out there or experience that shows a certain method works? My feeling is that there has to be a way to form a thermal and moisture barrier to the concrete from moisture laden air before the carpet is installed.
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Replies
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Hi Scott,
The carpet will suffer from mildew in time.
Carpet is not recommended for basements, even with the sleepers and plywood. Tell your client to consider more suitable flooing for the basement bedrooms.
You forgot to mention, where in the country you are and why you were concerned about insulation.
Gabe
*Some cheap advice:If the customer insists on having carpet anyway, then be certain to express your concerns to him/her in writing and have them sign off on future responsibility for moisture, mildew, etc...Otherwise it may come back to haunt you.Pete Draganic
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Scott--
'fraid I have no advice on the subject, but as a fairly recent transplant from New Gloucester (the next town over from Gray, for those from 'away'), I felt my fingers involuntarily drawn to the keyboard to simply say how nice it is to see your point o' origin on this board--and to ask you to give a big wave to any Manorists you may see sitting outside in their green plastic chairs, drawing on their cigars, on such a hot summer day!
Cheers!
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I am working on a home for a customer where the lower floor makes use of the basement space. The foundation extends 4' into the ground with about 4' of wall above forming a daylight basement with large horizontal windows. The ground is sandy and well drained. Good perimiter drains were installed inside and out of the footings. The concrete floor is on an 8" bed of stone followed by vapor barrier and a 3" layer of sand. The homeowner works as an engineer doing structural anaylisis of concrete and ground compaction studies for comercial and governmental projects and had the foundation installed. The question in my mind was a lack of insulation below the floor. The house has conventional hot water baseboard heat.
In the humid weather we are having there is considerable condensation showing up on the concrete floor in rooms scheduled to be carpeted as bedrooms. The original plan called strapping sleepers to be installed on the floor with plywood over them and then the carpet. This seems to me to be a perfect place for mildew and rot. We have discussed mildew resistant paints and waterproofing methods but I doubt if they will cure the problem. Are there any suggestions out there or experience that shows a certain method works? My feeling is that there has to be a way to form a thermal and moisture barrier to the concrete from moisture laden air before the carpet is installed.