# Options for Cold Basement Concrete Floor?



## Jesse07

I would agree to stay away from wood, laminates, ect in the basement. I think a heated matt like Nuheat would do the trick. Its thin mat that you thinset down. Next step is you encapsulate it with a self-leveling thinset and cover the entire desired area to tile. Basement floors usually aren't too flat, so the self-leveling mortar will help you get a good surface to work with. 

Another suggestion is split the basement between tile and carpet. It will help divide the room up the basement. The carpet area could be a place to watch TV, and you can have tile from the bottom of the stairs to maybe a bar area. I have this set up in my basement, and I love it. If the basement does leak one day, you won't have the headache to replace the entire basement floor. You would just have to replace the carpeted area. Also, if you did a heated mat under the tile the different in the height of the subfloor would flow smoothly into the carpeted area.


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## jefferis

ShipTileDirect. said:


> I would agree to stay away from wood, laminates, ect in the basement. I think a heated matt like Nuheat would do the trick. Its thin mat that you thinset down. Next step is you encapsulate it with a self-leveling thinset and cover the entire desired area to tile. Basement floors usually aren't too flat, so the self-leveling mortar will help you get a good surface to work with.
> 
> Another suggestion is split the basement between tile and carpet. It will help divide the room up the basement. The carpet area could be a place to watch TV, and you can have tile from the bottom of the stairs to maybe a bar area. I have this set up in my basement, and I love it. If the basement does leak one day, you won't have the headache to replace the entire basement floor. You would just have to replace the carpeted area. Also, if you did a heated mat under the tile the different in the height of the subfloor would flow smoothly into the carpeted area.


Thanks for the recommendations. I'm trying to stay away from carpet for 2 reasons... over time humidity builds up and wet dogs can create an odor.

Jeff


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## 26yrsinflooring

I would try the Pink with some Konecto.
I would first seal the concrete.


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## sam floor

26 years in flooring, one of your customers has been trying to contact you. 


_-removed-_
_Please contact via PM or E-mail_
_Thank you_
_Moderator_


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## Scuba_Dave

Samfloor - Please contact via E-mail or PM
This is not the place for this communication
Thank you


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## ccarlisle

Back to the original thread...

No-one knows for sure because you haven't said, but since you watch Holmes on Homes, can we assume you're in Canada? Either way, knowing where your house is located would help people give you proper recommendations since I'll bet you what Mike Holmes did doesn't apply to a house in Florida now don't you think? BTW most of Mike Holmes' renovation projects are in Ontario - Ontario, Canada not California.

So let's assume you in such a zone that basement floor insulation is needed. If so, the house was probaby built with an unfinished basement and finishing it would be up to the owners of the house, not the builders. As such, by adding insulation to the inside of the house envelope means that the ceiling will have dropped - or the floor is now higher - becaseu of the added insulation...That means the doors won't fit. So reframe them. No bid deal. Or shorten the doors. Not a major problem...

The bigger issue is the conrete floor, is it watertight etc. All concrete lets in moisture so you'll have to mange that. And what Mike Holmes did is...uh...let me guess..."done on the cheap"? done wrong? done by an amateur? 

I think not...Nope, what he did is the gospel according to the state of the art up here in Ontario. Thermal break on the floor using XPS, plywood subfloor on top of that, then carpet or whatever is your choice. Sure, no matter who builds it, you _could_ have a flood. But make sure your plumbing is fine, the weping system and the drains and you're managing the risk.

You have so many questions that you risk paralysis from analysis; OK you've discarded carpet...why? because of potential wet-dog odour? I have two dogs and carpet plus I'm a darned good carpet cleaner...but what do you think professional carpet cleaners do all day?

Dogs scratching wood floors? clip their nails for $5 a month. Our dogs are 80lbs each and we have hardwood in the LR. No problems!

I really think you are over-thinking all this and discarding some quite viable solutions, like DriCore, for odd reasons. Start with what you want on the floor and then work backwards to the concrete to see what steps need be taken to accomplish that objective. Right now, you don't know where to turn as every option you have chosen is being discarded, some on anecdotal evidence. 

Time to take charge...!


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## AllanJ

Floor leveler and/or a layer of concrete and/or tiles will make for an attractive durable surface that is just as cold as the existing floor. Masonry, brick, and cement have a very low R value.

As far as the cupped layer of Dricore accumulating moisture, was that under normal conditions over a period of years, or was there a flood?

I have been looking into Dricore for my basement but don't have the money budgeted yet. To combat the cold floor, some form of insulation is needed. I have also thought about a DIY forced air underfloor ventilation system similar to an radon mitigation system that could keep Dricore dry.

As in the walls, there may be only one moisture barrier in the floor. Dricore and Delta floor have a moisture barrier so the finished flooring must be porous. (Well, I suppose if you painted the bare concrete with a moisture retarding paint you can still use Dricore, etc. as you are not trapping moisture within interior space.)


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## VelvetFoot

How about stained concrete with area rugs?
The rugs could be rolled up and stored somewhere for the summer so they won't get moldy.


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## 26yrsinflooring

Wow, it seems like our northen friend got a little worked up, relax CC.
I like Holmes but what started out as good is now in the pocket of the special interest just like everything.


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## ccarlisle

26yrsinflooring said:


> Wow, it seems like our northen friend got a little worked up, relax CC.
> I like Holmes but what started out as good is now in the pocket of the special interest just like everything.


LOL... yeah, I get hot under the collar when I hear people over-analysing things to death. Do that myself too!

Holmes now has a show on 'inspections'...interesting!


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## DangerMouse

cork... warm, soft on the feet and ok for dogs.

DM


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## user1007

Cork is great and you can either glue it down or float it which would be great in a basement. It is sound and heat insulating and naturally capable of handling moisture changes. It is a renewable resource. I like products from this company (and installers seem to be pleased with it too) but there are certainly other options. The stuff at the box stores isn't worth the money though and you will not find the color options. 

http://www.duro-design.com/


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## ghopper57

*diyer*

i put down the heated mats (suntouch) on a concrete bathroom and family room floor and covered with tile and i love them, but when doing a fairly large area with self leveling mortar it doesn't always get completely level, the mortar tends to harden rather quickly. if you go this route make sure you have help 1 or 2 people mixing and another pouring


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## 26yrsinflooring

You can always try this: www.idealheat.com


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## ghopper57

thanks but it doesn't look like it can be cut to fit all shapes of rooms.do you order it in specific layouts for each room


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## 26yrsinflooring

It comes in varity of sizes, they will coordinate with any room size.
We like to see layouts and then help the customer decide what works the best.
The mats you viewed are the most energyminded on the market. The ribbon gives a lower profile than the cable and since it is thicker in width provides a better heat transfer at a lower wattage rate.

The cost is 1/3 less of most other styles of less efficient mats.


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