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I am planning to finish an uninsulated concrete floor in our 1907 Bungalow. It is not wet however it does draw damp, and will cause cardboard and carpeting to deteriate over the course of a couple of months. This will be used as living space.
The main constraint is a low ceiling of just 6 feet which eliminates the possibility of building up, or pouring a new floor.
I have two ideas.
A laminate floor over a vapor barrier.
or
A ceramic tile floor that will allow the dampness to carry up through the grout.
I am leaning toward the laminate.
Questions?
What would be the best vapor barrier/insulation?
What about mold and mildew trapped below the vapor barrier?
Would ceramic tile be a better alternative?
Are there better solutions other than excavation?
thanks for any help.
Kevin Cole
Replies
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You've got to fix your moisture problem before you do any finishing. Don't expect the finishing to do the job.
There is increasing concern with mold as a source/cause of illness in homes (based on what I've been reading, it's still an open question.
First thiong to do is control water outside your house: good downspout extensions (at least 10') and positive drainage away from the house. That will often have a large effect on moisture in the basement. (On a 30' x 40' house, there's 840 gal of water coming off of the roof per inch of rain -- funnel that thru 4 downspouts and your putting a lot of water in each of the 4 locations.)
Also, 6' of headroom is awfully limited.
Do you really want to do this?
*ceramic tile.anything else will capture and hold any moisture and lead to mold.the ceramic will breathe like the cement does now, which is what you want.then do two things:1) buy a dehumidifier and run it except when the ground is frozen outside - figure out some way to direct plumb its drain (a major labor savings over emptying the thing every 12 - 24 hours).2) store everything a few inches off the floor.
*Once ,at an open house, I experienced entering a finished basement with a 6' ceiling.It was the most awkward uncomfortable living space I'd ever been in. And I'm only 5' 8".But if you must , do as Bob said , fix problem on outside. Maybe a stained concrete floor and a few mildew resistant/washable rugs.
*if you have the time and/or money, do a test dig to see how far footer is down below floor. you may be able to dig down and put in new floor with drains and plastic under it that will give you a dry floor. I did this in an investment property and it gave me another bedroom.
*a 1907 bungalo may have no footer at all!in that era, foundations were often still stone.you may find that the stone wall is sitting right on soil because those walls were already 2 or more feet thick.if the wall ends right at the floor level then lowering the floor becomes a very risky and time consuming proposition. Be careful to hire the best in this field that you can get if you try it (those old stone foundations are held together by gravity and the weight of the house. Underpinning them is more difficult than doing a masonry wall (bricks, mortar).
*I just completed a hand dug basement dig on a house of similar nature built around 1914. (Approx. 6'or less headroom and I am 6'-4") It had cement block exposed outside with a field stone base and "no footing". The house is basically 25' I 25' which was a plus because it isn't too big, but let me tell you, its something I will never do again!!! Basically dug down approx. 2 feet from original floor height,Poured a 10-12" thick wall with around the basement perimeter, dug and laid gravity drain system, support column bases,then laid 6-mil vapor barrier and poured a 4" thick floor. Cleaned and patched the walls then Dry Lok'd and painted them white. Its been dry and bright and I have 7' plus headroom. If you have the benefit of a hatchway to conveyor the dirt out, your in luck. I didnt. It was well worth the time and effort. Its also great exercise, ha! ha!You may not need to go down as deep to make it dry with a new floor.
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I am planning to finish an uninsulated concrete floor in our 1907 Bungalow. It is not wet however it does draw damp, and will cause cardboard and carpeting to deteriate over the course of a couple of months. This will be used as living space.
The main constraint is a low ceiling of just 6 feet which eliminates the possibility of building up, or pouring a new floor.
I have two ideas.
A laminate floor over a vapor barrier.
or
A ceramic tile floor that will allow the dampness to carry up through the grout.
I am leaning toward the laminate.
Questions?
What would be the best vapor barrier/insulation?
What about mold and mildew trapped below the vapor barrier?
Would ceramic tile be a better alternative?
Are there better solutions other than excavation?
thanks for any help.
Kevin Cole