Flooring for rough basement floor? (laminate, paint, ceiling, installation)
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I have a basement floor that was poured over dirt and repatched quite a few time in the 140 years it's been there.
What is a good floor covering?
I occasionaly get some water on the floor during high rains. So carpeting is out. Lenolium wont work, and tile would crack.
If you have moisture issues below the concrete slab, then most epoxies will not work and would be a very poor choice of coating system. They can lose adhesion anytime there's more than 3 lbs/24 hours/1000sq ft of moisture pressure due to the drive of moisture from the ground up through the concrete into the house area.
You can do moisture tests (a "patch" test, a calcium chloride test, or there's meters which can sense the moisture) on the slab in the seasonal wet conditons and then use one of two epoxy systems:
1) an epoxy primer, followed by an effective epoxy moisture vapor barrier coating, then the decorative epoxy top coats.
2) a micro-porous breathable epoxy system, which is moisture tolerant. These are breathable, so don't trap the moisture between the sealed epoxy and the concrete (where it can form bubbles of liquid, sort of like "boat blisters in fiberglass boats) where the epoxy delaminates from the concrete.
The choice will be determined by the amount of moisture present; ie, the epoxy barrier coats can only handle a certain amount of moisture (varies from manufacturer to manufacturer). Above a certain amount of moisture, the only epoxy system that will work will be the breathable epoxy systems.
I've done a lot of epoxy work in the Rocky Mountain areas where we have bentonite soils and seasonal underground streams. These situations can cause a lot of damage to any flooring that is moisture sensitive, and ... of course ... can promote mold, mildew, and other undersirable growth in or below flooring systems. It's essential that you test test test for moisture and know what you're dealing with before you make any system selection.
FWIW, I've seen a lot of flooring "professionals" not understand these concerns and blindly install incompatible flooring systems, which have repeatedly failed .... You do not need to make their mistake.
Please note that the epoxy systems I've mentioned are sold directly to the trade as professional systems. You won't find these materials at your local "box" store, or paint store. You will have to go to a "pro" coatings distributor to buy these products; most will sell you these materials over the counter at the "end user" list price. Yes, there are epoxy systems specifically formulated and designed for the situation you've described, but you must know for sure what the installation parameters are to specify and obtain the correct epoxy system.
You will need to have professional quality mixing equipment to properly mix these materials ... a paint stirrer on a little 3/8" drill won't get the job done. For the heavier materials, I use a "mud paddle" on a Milwaukee Hole Hawg (3/4" drill, slow speed), and on the seriously heavy stuff, a professional KOL mixer which is designed for the application. Few of these products will be "self-leveling", and will require spreading with a squeegee and back rolling through possibly needing to be spread with a trowel, especially over rough surfaces.
If you don't know how to do the moisture testing, or don't have access to the surface prep equipment (rental), then this work is best left to a professional. At a minimum, you may find it advantageous to seek a pro's advice and quote(s) before attempting to do epoxy work in your situation.
Please note that if you can create a properly sealed epoxy floor in your location, then you may be able to look at other decorative flooring choices on top of the epoxy floor, or you can do a decorative epoxy floor. At a minimum, without seeing your specific floor situation, I think you'd need an epoxy system starting in the $6-8 psf range, and up ... just for the materials, not the surface prep and not including the installation of the products.
Doyou have the headroom for a over pour with flberglass reenforced conrete? If so check into that option with a moisture contoll underlayment. Maybe then a stained concrete finish?
Doyou have the headroom for a over pour with flberglass reenforced conrete? If so check into that option with a moisture contoll underlayment. Maybe then a stained concrete finish?
That's exactly what I was thinking. A slab with a couple of inches of concrete above the highest point on the old floor would be ideal if you have a tall enough ceiling to make it work. Otherwise your best bet would be to tear out the old concrete and pour a new slab on top of a vapor barrier to keep the moisture out.
Don't try to "finish" a basement until all your water problems are solved first. No flooring should be done until you know it will stay dry. Otherwise you will be finishing it again after the first floor gets wrecked.
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