# My Basement floor rehab - low budget job



## webbie (Feb 20, 2012)

7 years ago I finished part of my basement for my office and man room - well, not a real man room (no bar or TV), but musical stuff and my treadmill, etc.

I did a soundproof job and it has worked out very well - except the floor!

I made a few mistakes that y'all should take heed of. 

First, don't use carpet in the basement. Secondly, if you do, don't use padding!

Our basement is not wet. But the padding and carpet tend to wick moisture up out of a slab at certain times of years. Just don't do it - ok?

So, it's time to fix it...and like the Kinks, I'm on a low budget......also, no kids playing down there, so no need for certain amenities like a really soft floor. Here's what I am up to so far...my intention is to finish the floor with epoxy and also use area mats.

1. Remove existing carpet and pad - this came off pretty easily using a hooked carpet knife and utility knife. I rolled it up in small, easy to handle rolls and taped them up. The entire 450 square feet fit in the back of the Subaru and off to the dump they went!

2. Removal of adhesive - since I intend on using an epoxy floor finish, the slab must be clean. I found some online reviews of a product called 777 - and bought a gallon at HD. It works quite well, although a lot of elbow grease is involved in ALL of these steps! 
My advice, if possible, is that DIY'ers should do these jobs in spurts of a hour or two to avoid your arms or body wearing out! Or, if you have some friends or hired help, have at it!

3. Removal of baseboard and carpet tack strips - The handy roofing tool shown in the pic does a good job on both - again, it takes some work...especially for the carpet strips, which are nailed to the slab.
A note on baseboard. I am disgusted with the "fiber" baseboard that is commonly used in newer homes. I have found that even the slightest bit of moisture bleeds through the stuff - even on many first floor installations. I'd suggest using something else when possible - and using good primer or talking to a real painting or housebuilding pro about whether primer fixes this problem.
I intend to replace the baseboard with glued vinyl cove.

Ok, so that is where I am at. The glue remover, scraper and roofing tool are shown in one of the pics....
My intention on the paint is to use this - it seems to have good reviews and also breathes - which should mean that the floor does not wick up moisture as badly - at least not due to the floor finish.
http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-20...15DI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329764972&sr=8-1

When I am done the epoxy and cove molding, I will put down some snap-together flooring in key areas - probably foam squares or similar. This will allow me to stand on the softer floor when playing guitar, etc.

Estimated cost of job including some tools (scraper) and the flooring in certain area - less than $350 for the basic - and maybe another $350 for the floor mats (150 sf of them)
It's the elbo grease which is costly.
 :lol:


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## fossil (Feb 20, 2012)

Don't forget some flooring in your pole dancing radius.


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## webbie (Feb 20, 2012)

fossil said:
			
		

> Don't forget some flooring in your pole dancing radius.



Yeah, in my spare time I "flag" myself up sideways on those poles and see how many minutes I can stay horizontal (NOT).....


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## GAMMA RAY (Feb 20, 2012)

fossil said:
			
		

> Don't forget some flooring in your pole dancing radius.



LMFAO Foss....I was gonna comment on the "Pole"..... :lol: 

I would not lay tile there....Martha's high heels might not work well on tile....you know with the grout and all... :shut: 
Just sayin.... :lol:


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## webbie (Feb 20, 2012)

The only Womb Man allowed down there is our chick drummer, Sandy.....


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## GAMMA RAY (Feb 20, 2012)

Webmaster said:
			
		

> The only Womb Man allowed down there is our chick drummer, Sandy.....



Pfft...ya....till Martha has to go down and clean up your mess....
Mr Gamma loves spring...he gets his mancave back....(since the stove is in there and I park my a$$ in there from fall till spring)... :lol:


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## gzecc (Feb 20, 2012)

Webmaster said:
			
		

> When I am done the epoxy and cove molding, I will put down some snap-together flooring in key areas - probably foam squares or similar. This will allow me to stand on the softer floor when playing guitar, etc.
> 
> Estimated cost of job including some tools (scraper) and the flooring in certain area - less than $350 for the basic - and maybe another $350 for the floor mats (150 sf of them)
> It's the elbo grease which is costly.
> :lol:


I would suggest the plastic base molding. Looks very nice when complete and will not absorb mositure. I also removed the carpet in my basement and epoxied the floor and install the plastic base molding.


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## smoke show (Feb 21, 2012)

Interested in doing this also. Patiently awaiting after pics...


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## Pallet Pete (Feb 21, 2012)

Craig I have used dry lock on a few basements and it is a miracle worker for sealing! The price varies by where you get it http://www.amazon.com/Extrem-28613-...ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1329788987&sr=1-1  This is just another thought.

Pete


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## mbcijim (Feb 21, 2012)

I found a guy willing to install ceramic for a $1/sft plus material (about $1.50).  The trades are hurting it wouldn't hurt to ask around.  I wouldn't have put ceramic down in my basement due to cost, but with that deal it was a no-brainer.


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## MasterMech (Feb 21, 2012)

Please repost pics/thoughts on the epoxy floor.  I'm very curious how good the DIY epoxies are.  We have a commercial version at work that is indestrucable but cost is far more than the Rust-Oleum stuff.  ( I guess 40,000 sq ft would get pricey with the RO stuff too!)


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## nate379 (Feb 21, 2012)

I'd suggest renting a concrete grinder before doing the epoxy.

I did my garage with the Lowes stuff a few years back and it's holding up well.  Welding beats it up though, and I have some ugly rust stains where metal shavings were left on the floor and it got wet from pulling in the tractor or vehicles.

Spill oil, antifreeze, etc and it wipes right up with a rag though.


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## velvetfoot (Feb 21, 2012)

Thing is, anything you put on the basement floor, you might want to remove later.  Like, if you wanted to tile the floor after epoxy, would the tile purists say you have to remove the epoxy, paint, etc?  I imagine if you changed your mind about tile you have put down, removing that and the thinset would also be really tough.  I have no idea.  Maybe this.  It's removeable anyway.  http://www.lowes.com/pd_140696-5322...=+538rbl5+&N=0&langId=-1&storeId=10151&rpp=24


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## gpcollen1 (Feb 21, 2012)

I too have carpet on slab and am not too excited about what may be under it.  My advantage is that i am going to insulate the slab, 2x4 on flat and subfloor the place..


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## Bocefus78 (Feb 21, 2012)

NATE379 said:
			
		

> I'd suggest renting a concrete grinder before doing the epoxy.
> 
> I did my garage with the Lowes stuff a few years back and it's holding up well.  Welding beats it up though, and I have some ugly rust stains where metal shavings were left on the floor and it got wet from pulling in the tractor or vehicles.
> 
> Spill oil, antifreeze, etc and it wipes right up with a rag though.




DING DING DING! Winner winner chicken dinner! 

I've laid a few of these floors with a friend who does it professionally. While good material is key, the prep is the real key! For something that small, a handheld 9" grinder, diamond wheel, and a respirator will get you where you want to be. (plastic, tape, turn the furnace off, dust issues basically ...common sense stuff also applies here) Be sure to patch up any cracks first with a self leveling concrete patch.  He had riding shotblasters, and the whole 9 yards. 

My friend actually mixed the epoxy differently and could trowel it up the wall to make cove base. Its OSHA approved for an oil containment tank, so thats something to think about if water is of even the slightest concern.


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## maverick06 (Feb 21, 2012)

i had carpet on the cement on my unfinished basement. I was also scared of what was underneath it. We ended up removing it, it was disgusting underneath.....

you can get acids to etch the cement, looks pretty classy. Epoxy would make a wonderful solution as well.


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## semipro (Feb 21, 2012)

Craig, 
It sounds like you're set on epoxy but have you considered staining the concrete?  
Is the epoxy meant to seal the floor from moisture intrusion?  If so, is the epoxy meant for that application or would it have potential problems with water coming up through the slab?  
I think staining the concrete would also allow use of any floor type in the future, such as ceramic tile.


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## BlankBlankBlank (Feb 28, 2012)

Seems like the purpose of removing the carpet is to eliminate moisture issues with carpet.  After cleaning down to bare concrete, one option is to add 2" of dense xps foam board insulation directly over the concrete.  Then place plywood over the xps.  You can then add practically any floor over that.  This causes the moisture to cycle back to the concrete below.  It works.


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## woodsmaster (Feb 28, 2012)

This should be a lesson for anyone building new. Be sure to put down a vapor barrier and insulate under your slab
to avoid moisture and have a more comfortable and efficient house. I Know it cost more to insulate, but well worth it
in my opinion.


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## Dougsey (Feb 28, 2012)

Dri-Core sub-floor is another option, although it wouln't fall into the low budget category. 

You can put most any finished floor on top.


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## BlankBlankBlank (Feb 29, 2012)

woodsmaster said:
			
		

> This should be a lesson for anyone building new. Be sure to put down a vapor barrier and insulate under your slab
> to avoid moisture and have a more comfortable and efficient house. I Know it cost more to insulate, but well worth it
> in my opinion.



Ditto!!


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## BlankBlankBlank (Feb 29, 2012)

Dougsey said:
			
		

> Dri-Core sub-floor is another option, although it wouln't fall into the low budget category.
> 
> You can put most any finished floor on top.



Dri-Core is some neat stuff.  They sell it at Menards but expensive and no R value either.


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## webbie (Mar 26, 2012)

Update on the basement job!
I'll post more pics when done - I have in-between pics!
I took a lot of time getting the old carpet mastic off the concrete and then prepping the floor - there was paint and drywall compound, etc. all over it!
I put down the epoxy and am installing the vinyl cove now. The end is in sight!


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## velvetfoot (Mar 26, 2012)

Very smooth!  Looks good!
Let me ask, why'd you use epoxy instead of paint?  Epoxy is mostly for garage type duty, isn't it?

(At some point I'll have to choose a finish as well.  I just saw a friend yesterday who had to redo a stained concrete floor because of a botched job and wound up tiling over it. )


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## webbie (Mar 26, 2012)

The Epoxy is a newer rustoleum product designed for basement floors - it was cheap and it was rated highly by the folks on Amazon who had used it......
It went on extra easy! It took about 90 minutes to do 400 square feet.

http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=15


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## Gasifier (Mar 26, 2012)

Craig. The floor looks great! Outstanding job!

I have a concrete floor in my basement that I eventually will be refinishing in the future. I have a large crack down through it. When I say large I mean about 1/4" across by 20 feet or so long. Should be able to fill that easily. But there is also some places where a leveling compound was used. Unfortunately it was not self leveling, and it was not done by a professional. So I have uneven places all over the floor. So, I am looking for advice on how I can do this. A few questions for you. How did you level everything first? Did you have to fill any cracks? How did you clean or scrape your concrete floor for preparation? Did you use a self leveler like some of the others suggested?


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## webbie (Mar 26, 2012)

My house is relatively new .....so the biggest hassle was dealing with the stuff I had installed there already. I had to remove the old carpet adhesive - a real PITA.
I used a large razor scraper and a special removal solvent for most of this.
When I pulled up the carpet stripping there were about 50 small craters from the masonry nails I had to fill. I only had a very few small cracks.

Any coating is only going to be as good as what you put in on!

I didn't have to do any leveling.

So, you have a job there....probably most important to make a decision as to the best way to cover it (if that is what you are gonna do). I've seen really bad floors fixed by putting pressure treated little joists down and then plywood.

Leveling can be almost impossible - it's more like getting it to some relatively decent condition.
You might be best skipping paint or epoxy and just putting some of the interlocking mats down. They have everything from foam ones to heavy rubber.....I'm putting some on top of about 40% of my painted area....just to set instruments on and be easier on the feet.


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