I want to finish my basement. Headroom is not an issue as it is ten
feet from the dirt floor up to the bottom of my first floor joists.

Would it be better (and or cheaper) to "build" a floor similar to my
first floor floor (joists, sheathing, ...) or to pour a concrete slab.
The floor covering will be carpet.

The "wood" floor I would build myself, the concrete floor I would have
to pay for labor and materials.

The basement is approximately 25' x 12'. The basement walls are
concrete block filled with concrete and rebar and coated with Quikwall
surface bonding cement.

Jess

"Jess" wrote in message
...
I want to finish my basement. Headroom is not an issue as it is ten
feet from the dirt floor up to the bottom of my first floor joists.

Would it be better (and or cheaper) to "build" a floor similar to my
first floor floor (joists, sheathing, ...) or to pour a concrete slab.
The floor covering will be carpet.

The "wood" floor I would build myself, the concrete floor I would have
to pay for labor and materials.

I'd go with concrete. First I'd put down 2" of foam insulation board.

Disadvantages of wood over dirt:
Rot
Mold & mildew
Residence for rodents
Residence for insects

I'm in Portland Oregon where the weather is mild.

If I go with concrete, what type of gravel is best for a base? 3/4"
ballast, 3/4"-1/2", 3/4 minus, ... ?

Would the 2" foam insulation be of benefit in Portland?

So it would be gravel, then a vapor barrier like visqueen, then the
foam board, then say 4" of concrete?

Does a slab in a basement need reinforcement (wire mesh or rebar)?

I have concrete walls in the basement. Should the floor butt up
against the wall, or should there be some type of gap between the wall
and the floor?

What type of expansion joints are best for a basement floor? Should it
just be a cut say a 1/4" deep or should it be something like a board
or divider that totally separates the 4" depth of one section of the
floor from another?

Is 2500 psi concrete acceptable?

I will do all the work except the concrete. If I have the gravel,
visqueen, foam board, and reinforcement all in place over the entire
floor, will it be in the way when the concrete guys come in to pour?
Or in other words, should I let them do part of it (say like the
reinforcement) so they can do it as they go (to keep it out of the way
on other parts of the floor)?

There is really no way to get a wheel barrow full of concrete UP the
steep path and into my basement, so I assume that they can pump it in.
How far can an "average" pumper pump?

I've heard that concrete is going up. Does $90 a yard sound right for
Portland Oregon?

If I have a 400 square foot floor, what is a fair "ball park" range
for a Portland Oregon concrete dude(s) to pour my floor (labor and
materials)? I would guess that most contractors are experienced enough
to give a fairly accurate estimate for a basement floor just by using
the square footage (meaning that I could expect a rough estimate from
them over the phone). Is that true?

Thanks,
Jess

On Tue, 05 Jul 2005 20:26:30 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:


"Jess" wrote in message
.. .
I want to finish my basement. Headroom is not an issue as it is ten
feet from the dirt floor up to the bottom of my first floor joists.

Would it be better (and or cheaper) to "build" a floor similar to my
first floor floor (joists, sheathing, ...) or to pour a concrete slab.
The floor covering will be carpet.

The "wood" floor I would build myself, the concrete floor I would have
to pay for labor and materials.

I'd go with concrete. First I'd put down 2" of foam insulation board.

Disadvantages of wood over dirt:
Rot
Mold & mildew
Residence for rodents
Residence for insects

jess - I would let your concrete guy make recomendations. Reinforcement is
not typical in my area but a couple of cracks are. Related? My basement slab
is a 'floating' slab. Perimiter was shimmed out from the wall using some
foam board. Perimiter drains to a sump pump and a radon abatement system
were installed before the pour. If you have radon or water you should
prepare for it before the pour.

I agree that concrete is the way to go. Good pad then carpet.

"Jess" wrote in message
...
I'm in Portland Oregon where the weather is mild.

If I go with concrete, what type of gravel is best for a base? 3/4"
ballast, 3/4"-1/2", 3/4 minus, ... ?

Would the 2" foam insulation be of benefit in Portland?

So it would be gravel, then a vapor barrier like visqueen, then the
foam board, then say 4" of concrete?

Does a slab in a basement need reinforcement (wire mesh or rebar)?

I have concrete walls in the basement. Should the floor butt up
against the wall, or should there be some type of gap between the wall
and the floor?

What type of expansion joints are best for a basement floor? Should it
just be a cut say a 1/4" deep or should it be something like a board
or divider that totally separates the 4" depth of one section of the
floor from another?

Is 2500 psi concrete acceptable?

I will do all the work except the concrete. If I have the gravel,
visqueen, foam board, and reinforcement all in place over the entire
floor, will it be in the way when the concrete guys come in to pour?
Or in other words, should I let them do part of it (say like the
reinforcement) so they can do it as they go (to keep it out of the way
on other parts of the floor)?

There is really no way to get a wheel barrow full of concrete UP the
steep path and into my basement, so I assume that they can pump it in.
How far can an "average" pumper pump?

I've heard that concrete is going up. Does $90 a yard sound right for
Portland Oregon?

If I have a 400 square foot floor, what is a fair "ball park" range
for a Portland Oregon concrete dude(s) to pour my floor (labor and
materials)? I would guess that most contractors are experienced enough
to give a fairly accurate estimate for a basement floor just by using
the square footage (meaning that I could expect a rough estimate from
them over the phone). Is that true?

Thanks,
Jess

On Tue, 05 Jul 2005 20:26:30 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:


"Jess" wrote in message
. ..
I want to finish my basement. Headroom is not an issue as it is ten
feet from the dirt floor up to the bottom of my first floor joists.

Would it be better (and or cheaper) to "build" a floor similar to my
first floor floor (joists, sheathing, ...) or to pour a concrete slab.
The floor covering will be carpet.

The "wood" floor I would build myself, the concrete floor I would have
to pay for labor and materials.

I'd go with concrete. First I'd put down 2" of foam insulation board.

Disadvantages of wood over dirt:
Rot
Mold & mildew
Residence for rodents
Residence for insects

Jess wrote:
I'm in Portland Oregon where the weather is mild.

If I go with concrete, what type of gravel is best for a base? 3/4"
ballast, 3/4"-1/2", 3/4 minus, ... ?

Would the 2" foam insulation be of benefit in Portland?

So it would be gravel, then a vapor barrier like visqueen, then the
foam board, then say 4" of concrete?

Does a slab in a basement need reinforcement (wire mesh or rebar)?

I have concrete walls in the basement. Should the floor butt up
against the wall, or should there be some type of gap between the wall
and the floor?

What type of expansion joints are best for a basement floor? Should it
just be a cut say a 1/4" deep or should it be something like a board
or divider that totally separates the 4" depth of one section of the
floor from another?

Is 2500 psi concrete acceptable?

I will do all the work except the concrete. If I have the gravel,
visqueen, foam board, and reinforcement all in place over the entire
floor, will it be in the way when the concrete guys come in to pour?
Or in other words, should I let them do part of it (say like the
reinforcement) so they can do it as they go (to keep it out of the way
on other parts of the floor)?

There is really no way to get a wheel barrow full of concrete UP the
steep path and into my basement, so I assume that they can pump it in.
How far can an "average" pumper pump?

I've heard that concrete is going up. Does $90 a yard sound right for
Portland Oregon?

If I have a 400 square foot floor, what is a fair "ball park" range
for a Portland Oregon concrete dude(s) to pour my floor (labor and
materials)? I would guess that most contractors are experienced enough
to give a fairly accurate estimate for a basement floor just by using
the square footage (meaning that I could expect a rough estimate from
them over the phone). Is that true?




Hi,
Wouldn't it proper calling your local concrete contractor and discuss it
with him? concrete floor is always floating. It is not permanently fixed
to anything. And accurate estimate is done when the contractor surveys
the site and gives you a written estimate item by item. Don't forget
lien hold back when he does the job just to be sure.

concrete definetely, and the base should have a sump and pump in it in
case moisture ever becomes a problem, its easy to do now.

sump drain lines in gravel bed covered with foam insulation and then
the concrete with reinforcing wire......