Ok I have a couple of questions, but here's the deal.

Basement is 1/2 finished. The half which needs concrete has a dirt
floor right now and has some heating pipes as welll as the walls are
old flagstone, it think. So, here are the questions.

1. How much prep work can I do on my own?
2. How much do you think it migh cost to put down the floor? (figure
30x30) or so.
3. the dirt gets wet, I think it seeps UP, not from the walls, so will
taht dry out the basement?

Thanks

1. how much prep needs to be done? do you need to add fill, or remove
it? that is back-breaking labor but you could do it yourself. if you
wanted to use rebar (optional) you could install that yourself. but
you'd after find the mason first and see what he wants.

2. better call a few masons and see if they can give you a ballpark.
around here, the marterials for a 4" slab would go for about a grand to
1500.

3. you'll want a vapor barrier--six mil poly at a minimum, taped at
the joints and caulked with a caulk like tremco around the perimeter.
I would also put down a layer of extruded polystyrene insulation if you
are in a northern climate. . 2" is nice, but anything would help. Make
sure you get foam rated for underslab, dow blue or ceritfoam green or
something similar.

If the dirt gets wet so will the concrete be damp, humid, and possibly
seap up through cracks that will develop. A perimiter interior french
drain and pump will help a bit if water is from the foundation area. But
if water table is high, who knows. A large single sheet of plastic under
concrete will also help. Cost, there are to many variables involved to
give an idea.

" wrote in message


1. How much prep work can I do on my own?

All of it if you know how. None of it if you don't know how.


2. How much do you think it migh cost to put down the floor? (figure
30x30) or so.

You need about 10 yards of concrete. That will be about $1200 to $1300. You
need labor to spread and finish, that could be $1500 or so.

3. the dirt gets wet, I think it seeps UP, not from the walls, so will
taht dry out the basement?

Probably not. You should find out where the water is coming from and take
proper action. That may be a sump, French drain, etc. Under the concrete
you should put a vapor barrier and insulation if you have room, that will
add two inches to the thickness. You must determine if you have to dig out
before you pour 4" of concrete on what is there now. Consider headroom,
perimeter walls and piping, etc.

dig out extra deep, place gravel with perforated pipes around perimeter
running to sump pump or gravity drain well away from home. then cover
perf pipe with gravel and 10 mil overlapping and taped plastic. cover
with sand to protect the plastic then concrete.

On 10 Mar 2006 08:52:02 -0800, "
wrote:

Ok I have a couple of questions, but here's the deal.

Basement is 1/2 finished. The half which needs concrete has a dirt
floor right now and has some heating pipes as welll as the walls are
old flagstone, it think.

I think flagstones are used to make walks are made out of, and they
are only one or two inches thick. So the stones sort of look like
flags and that is, I assume, where the name comes from. Not good for
making basement walls.

Maybe you mean fieldstones?

So, here are the questions.

Can't help.


1. How much prep work can I do on my own?
2. How much do you think it migh cost to put down the floor? (figure
30x30) or so.
3. the dirt gets wet, I think it seeps UP, not from the walls, so will
taht dry out the basement?

Thanks

Please don't tell the University of Colorado about this. They
have the entire campus done in Lyons stone. Multistory!!
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"mm" wrote in message
...
On 10 Mar 2006 08:52:02 -0800, "
wrote:

Ok I have a couple of questions, but here's the deal.

Basement is 1/2 finished. The half which needs concrete has a
dirt
floor right now and has some heating pipes as welll as the walls
are
old flagstone, it think.

I think flagstones are used to make walks are made out of, and
they
are only one or two inches thick. So the stones sort of look
like
flags and that is, I assume, where the name comes from. Not good
for
making basement walls.

Maybe you mean fieldstones?

So, here are the questions.

Can't help.


1. How much prep work can I do on my own?
2. How much do you think it migh cost to put down the floor?
(figure
30x30) or so.
3. the dirt gets wet, I think it seeps UP, not from the walls,
so will
taht dry out the basement?

Thanks