How to renovate a basement?

[linusen80]

We have a house with a basement consisting of an older part (1920s) and a newer part (1980s). It is covered with plastic mats and gypsum and such, and we're planning to undertake a substantial renovation to moisture-proof it (i.e., basically have tiles on the floor and paint the walls with breathable paint). The older part has a concrete foundation. We assumed the newer part did as well, but now that we're tearing it out, it turns out that the newer part of the basement is just geotextile fabric with foam insulation on top, which has then been used to raise a floor. Will it work in the long term to use self-leveling compound on top of the foam insulation and use it as a foundation, or do we need to tear everything out and pour a slab according to standard practice? Grateful for any opinions.

 

[Jockebyggab]

We have a house with a basement consisting of an older part (1920s) and a newer part (1980s). It is covered with plastic mats and plasterboard and such, and we are thinking of giving it a major overhaul to make it moisture-proof (i.e., basically have tiles on the floor and paint the walls with breathable paint). The older part has a concrete foundation. We thought the newer part did as well, but now that we are tearing it out, it turns out that the newer part of the basement is just ground fabric with foam insulation on top, which a floor has then been framed on. Will it work in the long term to self-level on top of the foam insulation and have that as the foundation, or is it necessary to tear everything out and pour a slab according to traditional methods? Grateful for feedback.

Asking for more problems to self-level on top of foam insulation, moisture can form which molds. It's best to tear out and pour properly in a classic way. Then it's just a matter of maintaining consistent and good heat in the basement as this dries out and keeps moisture away and helps the entire house to thrive long-term. Compare with larger properties where basements are cleared/no extra floors at all but well-tempered with radiators to avoid long-term problems in the property. Heat distributes upwards so you always have an advantage with a tempered basement and can then comfortably have activities and coziness in the basement with a pleasant temperature. Win-win!

 

[Thomas_Blekinge]

This man has a hobby of preaching to a warm basement. Just because he feels cold when he's down there. When I bought my house, half of the basement was just macadam on earth. I laid out plastic and poured a 10 cm thick concrete slab. It's been nice and dry since then, the temperature is around 12 degrees. No heating except for some residual heat from the BV.
I don't have money to waste on heating a dry basement.

 

[MathiasS]

This man has a hobby of advocating for a warm basement. Just because he feels cold when he's down there. When I bought my house, half of the basement was just gravel on earth. I laid out plastic and poured a 10 cm thick concrete slab. It's been nice and dry since then, the temperature is around 12 degrees. No heating except for a little excess heat from the ground floor.
I don't have money to waste on heating a dry basement.

I guess people renovate basements because they want to use the space. There are many residential purposes that a basement is excellent for. An alternative might be to add a floor, which has many advantages, but also a completely different cost.