I just looked at a customers basement where they have used a sealer/waterproofing product on the concrete and then glued OSB directly on to the floor. It is unknown if there is a poly vapor barrier or insulation under the slab. The treated sill plates were then glued and shot directly on to the OSB. This does not look good to me but they were “told it was the way to go by the in-floor heating guy”.
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Yeah, I always take my carpentry advice from my heating installler, and my engineering from the sparky, and I get the best roofing advice from the painter, of course.
Seriously?
I tore out a floor like that a few years ago that had some of the nastiest mold I have ever dealt with. To be fair it was particle board instead of OSB, but I predict the results will be the same. At least it shoveled easy enough.
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It dosen't sound good to me either, but , for thier sake I would hope the watersealing product they used would act as a vapour barrior as well. I'm assuming they coated the entire floor before laying the OSB.
vapor barrier or not, you're still dealing with condensation when that warm moist air under the OSB hits that cold concrete slab. aye carumba. Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
Your Friendly Neighborhood Remodelerator
Its a bad detail for sure, but , being that the OSB is directly on the concrete and I think that they have radiant in the slab (cause thats were the detail came from) I doubt that any air will get to the slab. If the finish flooring was sealed to the OSB, wouldn't you end up with a composite that wouldn't allow air penetration?
Maybe I'm trying to put a positive spin on a bad situation.
no, your probably right about the air sealing. I'm still trying to figure out why anybody would put radiant heat subfloor in a basement, right on the concrete...oh well.Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
Your Friendly Neighborhood Remodelerator
To clarify, old house, old slab, crappy roll on water proofer over the top, osb routered out for pex, pex sitting on slab, 'nother layer of board proposed, carpet is finish detail. Left in a lurch by her last contractor, and maybe by her attitude too, who knows?We pretty much know that water's gonna be an issue in an old seattle basement, but after looking at it, I'm more scared of bugs/termites. The best solution is to yank it all, but I don't think the customer is gonna like that news. Does anyone have a treatment idea for the stuff that's under the treated sills of the non-bearing walls? Nevermind, this is sounding more ridiculous by the minute. The more I type the more I know the answer, its gotta go and she's gotta put the pex in gyp-crete. We can sawzall out the osb under the plates and replace it with shims or .060 treated ply. Pour finish and be done.Greg?
Yes, any approach will be expensive for her. I just don't feel comfortable ignoring this situation and finishing this one out. Might miss a few nights sleep!
Sorry, but this does sound scary.
IF the basement was bone dry, I'd be concerned about an air seal, IF the basements at all wet, then this is a do-over. Any water issues would have to be adressed before anything else.
Well, you could dump about 50 pounds of boric acid powder on it before covering it up. Would keep bugs to a minimum and help reduce rot. Also, keeping the heat on all the time will reduce rot.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
True - heat being on would tend to drive moisture out, but there are so many variables that I would be scared of this job
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The guy recommended treated plates over osb. That's a good one!
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
Old slab, likely with no insulation under it (Yes or No?), "in floor heating," then maybe carpet over the whole thing. Why not suggest really thick carpeting, and even a few inches of "high-R" foam carpet underlayment. That way you maximize the amount of heat going into the ground; wouldn't want the basement to get too warm, now.