Hello,
I am planning to renovate my basement, which currently only consists of a cement floor (slab) estimated to have been poured in the 50s. It is dry and in good condition. The walls are made of concrete block and are also dry and in good condition. The house was drained in 2004, so it feels secure.
I would like to drywall the walls and finish the floor with either wooden flooring or laminate (depending on how far the budget goes).
Question:
What is the most suitable and obviously the most cost-effective way to prepare the floor to lay wood/laminate flooring? The floor is currently not completely level, so it needs to be adjusted a bit, but I was hoping to avoid using leveling compound.
I've heard you can lay some form of moisture barrier (mat/membrane?) and then frame to the right level, but how do you handle insulation? What order and how should I attach the framing to the concrete?
And if you lay a moisture barrier, you must lead away the moisture somehow, right? A vent in the wall?
... many questions from someone who is quite handy but has never done a project like this before
I am planning to renovate my basement, which currently only consists of a cement floor (slab) estimated to have been poured in the 50s. It is dry and in good condition. The walls are made of concrete block and are also dry and in good condition. The house was drained in 2004, so it feels secure.
I would like to drywall the walls and finish the floor with either wooden flooring or laminate (depending on how far the budget goes).
Question:
What is the most suitable and obviously the most cost-effective way to prepare the floor to lay wood/laminate flooring? The floor is currently not completely level, so it needs to be adjusted a bit, but I was hoping to avoid using leveling compound.
I've heard you can lay some form of moisture barrier (mat/membrane?) and then frame to the right level, but how do you handle insulation? What order and how should I attach the framing to the concrete?
And if you lay a moisture barrier, you must lead away the moisture somehow, right? A vent in the wall?
... many questions from someone who is quite handy but has never done a project like this before
Most rec rooms from the 60s-70s are torn out precisely because of the same questionable interior design you plan to apply in your old basement. As long as you keep the floor and walls open and without tight coverings of moisture-sensitive materials, it indeed looks dry, as one would expect in a normal basement. Do a test: tape an airtight piece of plastic film on your floor and observe if you get condensation under the film after a few days. You can do the same on the wall closest to the floor.
If you plaster the walls and lay tiles on the floor, you avoid having to clean mold and do the work again. Anything else involves a mold risk in the basement.
gaia
If you plaster the walls and lay tiles on the floor, you avoid having to clean mold and do the work again. Anything else involves a mold risk in the basement.
gaia
Last edited by a moderator:
Alright, good tips! Thanks!
But laying tiles will mean I have to level everything with self-leveling compound because it's not even.
It's about 25 sqm, so I'm not sure how much this will cost.
Plastering the walls sounds smart, but I've never tried this before (drywall seemed easier). Is this something one should attempt oneself? The surface finish on floors/walls doesn't need to be top-notch, so tiles + plaster might work.
When building a slab foundation today, how do you remove the moisture from it? Shouldn't it be the same, or is there a significant difference between old and new slabs?
/Stefan
But laying tiles will mean I have to level everything with self-leveling compound because it's not even.
It's about 25 sqm, so I'm not sure how much this will cost.
Plastering the walls sounds smart, but I've never tried this before (drywall seemed easier). Is this something one should attempt oneself? The surface finish on floors/walls doesn't need to be top-notch, so tiles + plaster might work.
When building a slab foundation today, how do you remove the moisture from it? Shouldn't it be the same, or is there a significant difference between old and new slabs?
/Stefan
I have just replastered parts of my basement walls. It's fine to do it yourself, and if the thickness is at least 5 mm, it's not too difficult to make it look nice. The biggest problem (in my case) was making it look neat at the joint with the existing remaining plaster. However, it took much longer (and used more bags) than I thought, as you can't mix too much plaster at once if you want to get it on the wall and make it even and nice.
When making a new slab today, there is both a capillary-breaking layer (macadam or other coarse crushed stone) and some cm of insulation before pouring the concrete - and sometimes even a tight plastic film that stops both moisture migration and radon.
When making a new slab today, there is both a capillary-breaking layer (macadam or other coarse crushed stone) and some cm of insulation before pouring the concrete - and sometimes even a tight plastic film that stops both moisture migration and radon.