*
Arrowshooter:
What he plans to do sounds like it will work only if you have a DRY basement to begin.
From the title of this post it sounds as if there is a moisture problem w/ the basement. HOW MUCH water is getting in is my priority concern. Is the water entering hydrostatic, under pressure from the earth, or is it condensation? Need to know a little bit more.
Replies
*
Arrowshooter:
What he plans to do sounds like it will work only if you have a DRY basement to begin.
From the title of this post it sounds as if there is a moisture problem w/ the basement. HOW MUCH water is getting in is my priority concern. Is the water entering hydrostatic, under pressure from the earth, or is it condensation? Need to know a little bit more.
*
Hi Arrowshooter,
Your son has already treated the walls so the need to add poly would probably be a waste. If your son was installing drywall, it would be advisable to add the poly. The drywall does not dry out as fast as 1/8 paneling.
The use of carpet in the basement, over concrete, is not advisable. It will mildew and it will trap all kinds of bugs.
Use one of the many other options instead. Floating floors, vinyl tiles or sheating, etc.
Gabe
*Arrowshooter,Not to says your son's basement isn't dry, but many basements that appear dry actually do wick moisture from the earth and bring it into the house. You don't see it due to it being in a vapor state.Where most moisture problems arise is when you (okay, your son) give the vapor a surface on which to condense. This can be in the form of a framed wall against the basement wall or a carpet glued down to the slab. The trouble is that you don't discover the problem until your installation is complete.A simple experiment is to take a piece of poly, about 2' square. Tape the perimeter of the poly to the slab floor in your son's basement. Let it sit for a few days, then give a peek. If there is moisture present under the poly, there is moisture coming through the slab and into the basement. Do the same thing on the walls. If no moisture is present, congrads!Keep in mind variables such as the current water table (drought/normal rain/excessive rain this year?) which could affect hydrostatic pressure around the basement. In a drought it may be dry now, but next spring?There are no certainties in basements, thus it's best to proceed cautiously. Gabe has a few ideas your son may want to look in to.Best of luck to you and your son. Just remember, water almost always wins...and when it does, it can cost you big.
*
Arrowshooter,
Why doesn't your son consider ceramic tile for the basement floor. Carpet may not be acceptable below grade because of dampness and humidity. If costs are a major factor, remember that the tile job will not backerboard which brings the price down into a more reasonable price range. Remember, tile is a permanent solution and if installed correctly is not affected by water or humidity.
*I have finished off a number of basement trouble free for clients by building a 2 x 4 stud wall with a minimum 1" air space between the stud wall and the masonry wall. Although this does take away some usable floor space and increase the cost of the project I think the advantages more than compensate for that.It is a lot easier to run electrical in a 2 x 4 wall but more importantly a 2 x 4 wall can be insulated which eliminates the condensation problem.I have done basements with 3 walls underground using this method that have been done for at least 3 years now and have not had any complaints about mildew.I also don't recommend carpeting on basement floors. What seems to work well is vinyl or tile floor and then use area rugs if desired. They are much easier to replace if moisure is a problem than a glued down carpet.
*
My son is planing to finish some rooms in his basement.
He has a concrete block wall on the back side that is below grade except for the top two feet or so. He wants to strip this wall with 1 X 4 treated boards on 16 inch centers and add paneling. He has painted the wall with damtite and wants to know if he could apply polyethlene to the wall behind the furring strips. Does anyone have any comments or suggestions as to whether or not this will work ?
Also he plans to carpet the concrete floor. How should the floor be treated before laying carpet?