We are in the process of preparing a guest room in one of the rooms in the basement of our house, which dates back to the late 1940s. The house has recently been drained, and I have repaired the plaster on the walls and installed a ceiling. Now we have come to the floor. It is a rough concrete surface (unclear how thick, but probably only a few centimeters) that previously had a timber floor. Some form of asphalt moisture barrier was on the concrete slab. I have milled off most of the "asphalt" to allow moisture to migrate. It is barely 10 square meters in size.
Our idea now is to lay new concrete to even out the surface, which can then potentially be polished/sanded or painted later. Is this a reasonable idea, do you think?
I have a lot of questions about this:
How thick must the casting be at a minimum? 5 cm? Do we need to reinforce it?
I’ve heard that self-leveling compound is diffusion-tight, is that true? Or can it be used as a floor surface?
Is it beneficial to cast as thick as possible for comfort/moisture reasons? There are a few centimeters to the threshold.
I have searched for guides on this but haven't really found anything sensible. If anyone has tips on something to read about this, it would be interesting.
I have also considered electric underfloor heating, but the slab is uninsulated, and that might not turn out so well.
Ventilated floors could also be an option, but it would be nice not to have a system running all the time.
/o
Our idea now is to lay new concrete to even out the surface, which can then potentially be polished/sanded or painted later. Is this a reasonable idea, do you think?
I have a lot of questions about this:
How thick must the casting be at a minimum? 5 cm? Do we need to reinforce it?
I’ve heard that self-leveling compound is diffusion-tight, is that true? Or can it be used as a floor surface?
Is it beneficial to cast as thick as possible for comfort/moisture reasons? There are a few centimeters to the threshold.
I have searched for guides on this but haven't really found anything sensible. If anyone has tips on something to read about this, it would be interesting.
I have also considered electric underfloor heating, but the slab is uninsulated, and that might not turn out so well.
Ventilated floors could also be an option, but it would be nice not to have a system running all the time.
/o
The concrete floor in your basement was poured afterward between the walls, which rest on lower concrete footings. It is usually unreinforced and about 5 cm thick. The simplest way to make it look nice is to plaster it. Self-leveling compound is another but more expensive option. Comfort does not improve with greater thickness; the most important thing is that it is smooth. It is not wrong to hire a professional for this. It is not easy to achieve a good result if you have never done it before. No cement- and stone-based products are vapor-tight; however, like other hygroscopic materials, they have lower vapor permeability. Rats benefit the most from electrical heating cables in the floor.
You can start by studying this link. https://www.weber.se/golvavjamning.html
An important difference between Weber's various products (there are other manufacturers too) is the thickness of the layer they are suitable for. The surface roughness also differentiates them. You need to level the floor so you get an idea of the level differences across the entire surface. I, who have dabbled in most trades, would not do this myself. Hire a mason or a floor layer and also ask them for advice.