Contact paper over basement slab..

11 years ago

Yes; you read that correctly..

I'm in the beginning demolition stages for re-finishing my finished basement. I was able to take all the walls down to the studs and take the old carpet up and expose the existing flooring.

...at least I thought it was existing flooring.

It looked and felt like ceramic tile. Turns out, it's contact paper stuck down and made to look like ceramic tile. While I was down there ripping carpet up, I noticed some "tile" coming up. That's when I saw it coming up in sheets and the bare foundation underneath.

Any ideas on how to get it up? Should I even try to do that or just put moisture barrier down and install the flooring I planned over it?

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Comments (2)

User
11 years ago
Pull off as much as you can - you say it's "coming up in sheets - and use a heat gun or hair dryer on the rest to soften it so you can scrape it off.

I'm paranoid about misused materials hiding behind and under the good stuff - they can prevent proper performance.
pprioroh
11 years ago
There are lots of websites that show how to make that kind of floor - it's basically craft paper *(typically) with a shellac of glue.

If you're putting carpet over it, I would be a bit concerned that you might have moisture build up due to lower temperature of the slab and then mold could grow on the paper. I'd pull it up.

I would bet you could get a scraper and get under it and get it up in sheets, but i've never tried it.
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