? Best product for a basement cement floor ?
 

My house is 10 years old. The basement floor is in good condition. The
occasional hairline crack. To my knowledge, no water has come up
through the floor (the perimeter is well drained and there is a sump
pump in place). However, I do get some moisture that comes up through
the floor ... I can't see it BUT as I lift rumber pads that are on the
floor in the kids playroom, I do smell that basement/musty aroma!!!

There is grey cement floor paint in place. I am wondering if there is
a product (paint, epoxy, ...??) that could be applied to minimize that
natural moisture you get coming through cement?

Any insight would be great!

Cheers!

E.


Eric N. Leclair

? Best product for a basement cement floor ?
 

On 27 Feb 2007 09:01:44 -0800, "Eric" wrote:

My house is 10 years old. The basement floor is in good condition. The
occasional hairline crack. To my knowledge, no water has come up
through the floor (the perimeter is well drained and there is a sump
pump in place). However, I do get some moisture that comes up through
the floor ... I can't see it BUT as I lift rumber pads that are on the
floor in the kids playroom, I do smell that basement/musty aroma!!!

There is grey cement floor paint in place. I am wondering if there is
a product (paint, epoxy, ...??) that could be applied to minimize that
natural moisture you get coming through cement?

Any insight would be great!


Cement doesn't stop moisture, so while the cracks
are part of the problem, sealing the cracks won't
stop moisture infiltration. Once the slab has stopped
shifting around and changing size (which is what's
probably caused the cracks) you can grind out and
patch the cracks, and then coat the entire floor
with epoxy. That will PROBABLY prevent incidental
groundwater from soaking through the concrete.
It won't stop a rising water-table though. If water
under pressure can't find a way through or around the
slab, it will make one. Possibly violently.
It will also not stop water from migrating down
through whatever you're using as a floor-covering,
and condensing on the cooler cement.

If you have the headroom to get away with it,
and the money to spend, a wooden or partical-board
subfloor with air circulating under it,
(Outside air, dehumidified, heated, run under the
floor, through a heat exchanger, and back outside)
is your best solution. This will also solve
any radon or other gas problems you might have.
If you have ENOUGH headroom, you could go with
rigid foam insulation, (sealed) covered with
plastic vapor barrier (glued/welded) with a
regular subfloor over that.

If you're lacking either the headroom or
the money, then an epoxy coating, and a
removable floor-treatment that you can
take out and clean twice a year is probably
your best bet.

? Best product for a basement cement floor ?
 

On Feb 27, 9:01 am, "Eric" wrote:
My house is 10 years old. The basement floor is in good condition. The
occasional hairline crack. To my knowledge, no water has come up
through the floor (the perimeter is well drained and there is a sump
pump in place). However, I do get some moisture that comes up through
the floor ... I can't see it BUT as I lift rumber pads that are on the
floor in the kids playroom, I do smell that basement/musty aroma!!!

There is grey cement floor paint in place. I am wondering if there is
a product (paint, epoxy, ...??) that could be applied to minimize that
natural moisture you get coming through cement?

Any insight would be great!

Cheers!

E.

Eric N. Leclair

Unfortunately mositure barriers are best placed under the concrete,

plus you've already got paint in place. :(

I have used with great success the following product

Rustoleum High Performance Industrial DTM Epoxy Mastic

http://www.rustoleum.com/tds/9100%20...51_2032990.pdf

They call it mastic but its really a two part epoxy paint / activator
paint system.

It goes on pretty thick; two coats needed to develop minimum suggested
film thickness

It's avaliable in SoCal at Vista Paint

I suggest you read the surface prep section, moisture coming through
the concrete is problematic for this product (as it is for most
coatings)

In the Pools section they describe a moisture transmission test, I
would recommend it.

cheers
Bob

? Best product for a basement cement floor ?
 

On 27 Feb 2007 09:01:44 -0800, "Eric" wrote:

My house is 10 years old. The basement floor is in good condition. The
occasional hairline crack. To my knowledge, no water has come up
through the floor (the perimeter is well drained and there is a sump
pump in place). However, I do get some moisture that comes up through
the floor ... I can't see it BUT as I lift rumber pads that are on the
floor in the kids playroom, I do smell that basement/musty aroma!!!

Soon your kids will be older and they won't need rubber pads. Then
you can take them up and you won't have the problem.

I"m not being sarcastic. Your problem doesn't sound that bad,
especially if you only smell the smell when you lift these pads.

There is grey cement floor paint in place. I am wondering if there is
a product (paint, epoxy, ...??) that could be applied to minimize that
natural moisture you get coming through cement?

Any insight would be great!

Cheers!

E.


Eric N. Leclair