Basement flooring issue

11 years ago

The concrete basement floor in our 1946 home is cracked and pitted. The bigger problem though is that moisture rises up through it from below the house - not puddles, but moisture that we can see when we lift the InterfaceFlor tiles that are our current flooring solution. This moisture seems to be a wonderful medium for mold growth on the bottom sides of the tiles (they are some sort of rubberized/non-breathable material on the bottom and recycles low-pile carpeting on the top).

I'd love suggestions about how to limit the moisture issue and what type of floor to put down there. Should we do a skim coat of concrete and then use area rugs without anything under them so it is breathable? Should we put down a vapor barrier and lay flooring on top? Thanks for your help!

Featured Answer

PRO

Maltby Design

11 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

You need to remove the moisture problem. Given the age of your home the perimeter drain tiles (if they exist) are probably clogged and aren't moving the ground water away from your basement. There was probably no damp proofing applied to the exterior foundation walls, either. I would recommend that you contact companies who do foundation and drain tile work to come in and redo your water management at the basement. This will involve excavating down to the footings and redoing the perimeter drains (they should also redo the storm system for the roof drains while they're at it. They can also instal a modern exterior damp proofing and drain membrane to the exterior foundation walls. It won't be a cheap solution, but it will solve the problem.

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Comments (7)

Evan Rick
Original Author
11 years ago
I've also heard of types of paint that are used to limit moisture, or are used in auto mechanic garages on their floors... and I'm wondering if anyone out there has used that sort of paint with any success and how noxious it was (we have a child and dogs and adult humans living in the house!).
User
11 years ago
I have used Drylok sealant with great results. We used it both on the walls and floor of our basement before we finished it. Low VOC. Check it out.
Evan Rick thanked User
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Evan Rick
Original Author
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Thanks, elklaker! Did you just paint over it or did you lay a floor after you used the Drylok? It just occurred to me that we could maybe tile down there.
User
11 years ago
This isn't a bandaid issue. It needs major surgery.
Evan Rick thanked User
Evan Rick
Original Author
11 years ago
Oh man. Thank you Maltby Design and Sophie Wheeler. There are no existing perimeter drain tiles that I know of and yeah - no damp proofing clearly. When we don't take care of our gutters or if we have serious snow meltage (on the north side of the house toward the end of winter there can be 5+ feet of snow built up) it has come in through that basement wall. Any idea what kind of company does this kind of work? Should I just contact a contractor?
PRO
Maltby Design
11 years ago
Google 'foundation drainage repair' for your location and start calling for quotes and references. Always check the references. I recommend getting quotes from at least three contractors. Also ensure that once everything is done, you have good, positive slope of the finished grade away from the foundations of your house. This will prevent surface water from collecting at the base of your home.
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