Just cleared out 2 basement rooms, fine-tuned with the metal detector and discovered the following:
In the 1st room, the floor is in perfect condition without cracks, and there is no drain in the slab. In the 2nd room, there is a small longitudinal crack that runs approximately 80% in the same direction as the waste pipe seems to go (checked the pipe's direction from the wall + traced it with a metal detector to the house's "heart wall" where the pipe then goes diagonally under the door threshold into the garage).
The question in this context is what the cracking in the direction of the drain pipe indicates, is it just settling around the pipe or is it rust from the pipe causing the crack in the floor.
Considering drilling in a few places to try to determine the thickness of the slab and what the substrate consists of.
In the 1st room, the floor is in perfect condition without cracks, and there is no drain in the slab. In the 2nd room, there is a small longitudinal crack that runs approximately 80% in the same direction as the waste pipe seems to go (checked the pipe's direction from the wall + traced it with a metal detector to the house's "heart wall" where the pipe then goes diagonally under the door threshold into the garage).
The question in this context is what the cracking in the direction of the drain pipe indicates, is it just settling around the pipe or is it rust from the pipe causing the crack in the floor.
Considering drilling in a few places to try to determine the thickness of the slab and what the substrate consists of.
Our floor also had cracks before I removed it. They were in the same direction as the drainage pipe but about 1 meter closer to the middle of the floor. The explanation I got from someone was that it was the walls that had settled, but not the floor since it was poured afterward.
However, that doesn't really explain why the floor was fine in your other room. The shape of the rooms and the size of the floor area probably also play a role.
However, that doesn't really explain why the floor was fine in your other room. The shape of the rooms and the size of the floor area probably also play a role.
After going through the basement and also measuring the radon gases, I am strongly leaning toward the following measures, feel free to share your thoughts on this:
1: "Surgical" intervention - sewage.
Cut and chip up the concrete floor only where the sewage line runs, re-lay material like blast rock/new coarse gravel-new sewage pipes/drains etc., which are insulated and then recast + sand.
2: Cut open any cracks in the basement floor and around the insides of the house walls and seal with epoxy and then sand down, afterward floor paint "that breathes" like silicate.
3: Drill 100mm holes in 2 places in the floor for ventilation pipes, which are connected to a fan that then pushes radon-laden air directly outside the house, also connected to "floor platon" - see point 4. Also, existing drainage outside is fixed with a suction fan. Then seal all incoming ductwork to the house.
4: In two basement rooms, I will probably lay "floor platon" with some simpler "click flooring" on top for comfort (heat is provided by wall elements-avoiding underfloor heating). In the laundry room, I will sand away old paint and lay tiles directly on the floor with large joints to allow any moisture to pass through.
1: "Surgical" intervention - sewage.
Cut and chip up the concrete floor only where the sewage line runs, re-lay material like blast rock/new coarse gravel-new sewage pipes/drains etc., which are insulated and then recast + sand.
2: Cut open any cracks in the basement floor and around the insides of the house walls and seal with epoxy and then sand down, afterward floor paint "that breathes" like silicate.
3: Drill 100mm holes in 2 places in the floor for ventilation pipes, which are connected to a fan that then pushes radon-laden air directly outside the house, also connected to "floor platon" - see point 4. Also, existing drainage outside is fixed with a suction fan. Then seal all incoming ductwork to the house.
4: In two basement rooms, I will probably lay "floor platon" with some simpler "click flooring" on top for comfort (heat is provided by wall elements-avoiding underfloor heating). In the laundry room, I will sand away old paint and lay tiles directly on the floor with large joints to allow any moisture to pass through.
Some additional details to the previous answer:
Point 2 -epoxy:
According to reports, some epoxy is "elastic," but otherwise I can rout a gap and press down silicone, then apply a little floor sealant or cement on top and sand it, with the goal of keeping radon gases out.
Point 3 -radon:
The question is about radon from granite bedrock under the concrete slab + significant ingress from the pipe trench in the street that needs sealing as well. Previously, I laid down 2 drainage pipes and spread aggregate along the two long sides of the house. Possibly, one could attach a fan to these 2 and then as an additional "push" instead, press down indoor air under the slab (so-called cushion air technique) with a borehole of 100mm, but then the question arises about how much condensation will be generated and where it might then creep up.
Point 4 -moisture:
The concrete slab is damp in summer due to condensation; in winter it is dry. Moisture comes from below and rises up into the house + condensation in the summer when humid warm air instead settles against the floor. The floor has a significant cooling effect; last summer when it was +32 in the shade, it was 19+ in the basement (as long as the windows were closed). If I lay tiles, the experts suggest I should have certain spacing between the tiles to allow moisture to move without getting "trapped" anywhere. If you place a piece of plastic/tape on the floor in summer, it comes loose after a few hours, in winter it's not a problem. The concrete slab rests on gravel/blast rock that is right against granite bedrock.
Point 2 -epoxy:
According to reports, some epoxy is "elastic," but otherwise I can rout a gap and press down silicone, then apply a little floor sealant or cement on top and sand it, with the goal of keeping radon gases out.
Point 3 -radon:
The question is about radon from granite bedrock under the concrete slab + significant ingress from the pipe trench in the street that needs sealing as well. Previously, I laid down 2 drainage pipes and spread aggregate along the two long sides of the house. Possibly, one could attach a fan to these 2 and then as an additional "push" instead, press down indoor air under the slab (so-called cushion air technique) with a borehole of 100mm, but then the question arises about how much condensation will be generated and where it might then creep up.
Point 4 -moisture:
The concrete slab is damp in summer due to condensation; in winter it is dry. Moisture comes from below and rises up into the house + condensation in the summer when humid warm air instead settles against the floor. The floor has a significant cooling effect; last summer when it was +32 in the shade, it was 19+ in the basement (as long as the windows were closed). If I lay tiles, the experts suggest I should have certain spacing between the tiles to allow moisture to move without getting "trapped" anywhere. If you place a piece of plastic/tape on the floor in summer, it comes loose after a few hours, in winter it's not a problem. The concrete slab rests on gravel/blast rock that is right against granite bedrock.
Why didn't I think of that, drilling a hole and inserting a thermometer is ingenious. Since I have a bunch of combined thermometer/hygrometers, I'll detach the sensors, solder on an extension cable, and lower them into the drill holes so I can read both moisture and temperature + radon levels under the "slab". Then I have a "natural" opening at the inspection hatch, so I can test run a fan and see what happens; my wife won't see me this weekend either....
We'll see if anyone else can give advice on potential tiles on the basement floor, or if I should drop this idea and try another option.
We'll see if anyone else can give advice on potential tiles on the basement floor, or if I should drop this idea and try another option.
Bergo or Hestraplattan maybe :-/
http://www.alltombostad.se/produkter/6/47/61332/
http://www.flooring.se/se/bergoplattan.asp
http://www.siltex.se/hestraplattan.html
because wooden decking is probably not an option
http://www.alltombostad.se/produkter/6/47/61332/
http://www.flooring.se/se/bergoplattan.asp
http://www.siltex.se/hestraplattan.html
because wooden decking is probably not an option
Hey mom, it's been a while.
Yeah, we already have Bergo in one place but the wife complains about all the dirt the vacuum cleaner doesn't pick up that ends up inside the tiles.
Trätrall, is that the thing from Swedbergs with half teak-half something like Bergo that costs a fortune ??, otherwise I'm interested.
Yeah, we already have Bergo in one place but the wife complains about all the dirt the vacuum cleaner doesn't pick up that ends up inside the tiles.
Trätrall, is that the thing from Swedbergs with half teak-half something like Bergo that costs a fortune ??, otherwise I'm interested.
Don't you have a floor drain so she can rinse off with a hose? *joking*
Well, I was thinking more about regular terrace decking in pressure-treated wood or similar, maybe with slip protection (is that what it's called?) in plastic underneath. :-[
Well, I was thinking more about regular terrace decking in pressure-treated wood or similar, maybe with slip protection (is that what it's called?) in plastic underneath. :-[
Tiles are my 1st choice, but it depends on the floor needing to "breathe"., or is there some type of porous stone that can be used in this context?
Neither tile, adhesive, nor grout are waterproof.
My wife works at a large construction company, and one of their top designers recommends tile on basement floors (without waterproofing). Even though we lack insulation, I believe the basic idea is the same.
Our slab is also quite dry, as there is plenty of blasted rock underneath.
If you have a super moist slab, you might think differently, although I don’t see any major reason for it offhand.
My wife works at a large construction company, and one of their top designers recommends tile on basement floors (without waterproofing). Even though we lack insulation, I believe the basic idea is the same.
Our slab is also quite dry, as there is plenty of blasted rock underneath.
If you have a super moist slab, you might think differently, although I don’t see any major reason for it offhand.