Hi, I'm renovating my house (currently the basement). When I bought the house, Anticimex noted a musty smell in the basement during the transfer inspection. When I called and spoke with them, they said I should:
1. Remove the floating click-floor
2. Treat any mold
3. Paint the slab with diffusion-open paint
So that was what I planned to do.
Now I've torn the floor down to the slab and here I've found embedded rotted wooden joists either directly on the concrete slab or between concrete patches directly against the ground (uninsulated basement), with a layer of asphalt/tar/adhesive roofing felt on top as some old moisture barrier. The room above also had mold on the floor along the walls, so I guess the moisture travelled up the walls because of the previous moisture barrier.
I've now removed all organic material in the basement (the wooden joists), but I need to remove the old moisture barrier so the moisture can come through before I fill with new cement/diffusion-open self-leveling compound and paint.
So far, I've only been prying with a crowbar, but it takes so much time, and I'm also unsure if I'm even removing enough. I can see when the roofing felt is gone, and the asphalt shines, so I think I can also see when that's gone—but the concrete slab is still dark, so I don't know if I'm removing enough. When I scrape, it looks white, so maybe it's just dirt?
Anyone have tips or advice?
1. Remove the floating click-floor
2. Treat any mold
3. Paint the slab with diffusion-open paint
So that was what I planned to do.
Now I've torn the floor down to the slab and here I've found embedded rotted wooden joists either directly on the concrete slab or between concrete patches directly against the ground (uninsulated basement), with a layer of asphalt/tar/adhesive roofing felt on top as some old moisture barrier. The room above also had mold on the floor along the walls, so I guess the moisture travelled up the walls because of the previous moisture barrier.
I've now removed all organic material in the basement (the wooden joists), but I need to remove the old moisture barrier so the moisture can come through before I fill with new cement/diffusion-open self-leveling compound and paint.
So far, I've only been prying with a crowbar, but it takes so much time, and I'm also unsure if I'm even removing enough. I can see when the roofing felt is gone, and the asphalt shines, so I think I can also see when that's gone—but the concrete slab is still dark, so I don't know if I'm removing enough. When I scrape, it looks white, so maybe it's just dirt?
Anyone have tips or advice?
Hello, and welcome..
It was quite a tedious project you've taken on.
Perhaps it's time to consider coming in with a larger jackhammer and removing most of the concrete, and then pouring new.
If it's large areas, then it is indeed an extensive job.
It was quite a tedious project you've taken on.
Perhaps it's time to consider coming in with a larger jackhammer and removing most of the concrete, and then pouring new.
If it's large areas, then it is indeed an extensive job.