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David
 
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Default Flood Friendly Basement Flooring

Hello Everyone,
I have a 1920s home in the rainy northwest I've recently purchased,
and from the water staining on the drywall in the basement, we
obviously have a history of flooding. We had about 1/2 inch last
winter after about a week of good rain and one day of really heavy
rain. I put in a sump pump which I think will handle any future
flooding, but of course, you never know until it happens.
Anyway, I'm wanting to finish out the rest of the basement with new
drywall and put in some flooring instead of the old mostly unlevel and
cracked but still solid concrete floor.
I of course don't want to use carpet, but what would be the most
"flooding friendly" flooring product I could use? I just don't want to
have to tear whatever I put in back out if its damaged from some
future flood. How about ceramic tile or linoleum? Would these stand up
to up to 1 inch of water.
I'm also going to leave a 1 inch gap between the floor and my new
drywall, maybe with a rubber baseboard to keep water from wicking up
into the new drywall if it does in fact flood again.
Any suggestions on the wall or flooring?
Thanks,
David
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Roger
 
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I of course don't want to use carpet, but what would be the most
"flooding friendly" flooring product I could use? I just don't want to
have to tear whatever I put in back out if its damaged from some
future flood. How about ceramic tile or linoleum? Would these stand up
to up to 1 inch of water.
I'm also going to leave a 1 inch gap between the floor and my new
drywall, maybe with a rubber baseboard to keep water from wicking up
into the new drywall if it does in fact flood again.
Any suggestions on the wall or flooring?


Linoleum - no, except for very short flood events.
I would think quarry tile or ceramic tile would work, if the floor is first
leveled with concrete,, and thinset mortar, not mastic, be used to attach
the tiles. Go to a good flooring and tile shop for additional advice. I
like your idea of having a gap below the wall sheetrock, but I would make it
a full 3-4 inches, and buy appropriate resin or rubber baseboard to cover
the gap.


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William Deans
 
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fiber-cement tiles?

"David" wrote in message
om...
Hello Everyone,
I have a 1920s home in the rainy northwest I've recently purchased,
and from the water staining on the drywall in the basement, we
obviously have a history of flooding. We had about 1/2 inch last
winter after about a week of good rain and one day of really heavy
rain. I put in a sump pump which I think will handle any future
flooding, but of course, you never know until it happens.
Anyway, I'm wanting to finish out the rest of the basement with new
drywall and put in some flooring instead of the old mostly unlevel and
cracked but still solid concrete floor.
I of course don't want to use carpet, but what would be the most
"flooding friendly" flooring product I could use? I just don't want to
have to tear whatever I put in back out if its damaged from some
future flood. How about ceramic tile or linoleum? Would these stand up
to up to 1 inch of water.
I'm also going to leave a 1 inch gap between the floor and my new
drywall, maybe with a rubber baseboard to keep water from wicking up
into the new drywall if it does in fact flood again.
Any suggestions on the wall or flooring?
Thanks,
David



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default
 
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Default



Roger wrote:

I of course don't want to use carpet, but what would be the most
"flooding friendly" flooring product I could use? I just don't want to
have to tear whatever I put in back out if its damaged from some
future flood. How about ceramic tile or linoleum? Would these stand up
to up to 1 inch of water.
I'm also going to leave a 1 inch gap between the floor and my new
drywall, maybe with a rubber baseboard to keep water from wicking up
into the new drywall if it does in fact flood again.
Any suggestions on the wall or flooring?


Tile would work, they line pools with it, after all. So would poured epoxy.
wood planking would be ok, if you're willing to go with a weathered look like
a boat-deck instead of the glossy-plastic look of modern oak livingrooms,
you just have to be prompt and aggressive about drying it out again.
Astroturf or indoor/outdoor carpet would survive, depending on what
contaminants your floodwater has. (if it's sewage, forget the wood and
the carpet). And area rugs made of all-synthetic fiber (poly or nylon)
can be taken outside, hosed down, dried off, and put back.

--Goedjn




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Chet Hayes
 
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"William Deans" wrote in message news:1100720691.ouTukhyQBvR9/m3p80SAjw@teranews...
fiber-cement tiles?

"David" wrote in message
om...
Hello Everyone,
I have a 1920s home in the rainy northwest I've recently purchased,
and from the water staining on the drywall in the basement, we
obviously have a history of flooding. We had about 1/2 inch last
winter after about a week of good rain and one day of really heavy
rain. I put in a sump pump which I think will handle any future
flooding, but of course, you never know until it happens.
Anyway, I'm wanting to finish out the rest of the basement with new
drywall and put in some flooring instead of the old mostly unlevel and
cracked but still solid concrete floor.
I of course don't want to use carpet, but what would be the most
"flooding friendly" flooring product I could use? I just don't want to
have to tear whatever I put in back out if its damaged from some
future flood. How about ceramic tile or linoleum? Would these stand up
to up to 1 inch of water.
I'm also going to leave a 1 inch gap between the floor and my new
drywall, maybe with a rubber baseboard to keep water from wicking up
into the new drywall if it does in fact flood again.
Any suggestions on the wall or flooring?
Thanks,
David



I guess I have a slightly different take on this. A basement that has
a history of flooding is a poor candidate to finish into anything,
regardless of what kind of floor you try to put down, without first
fixing whatever the problem is. I'd spend money on that before I did
anything else. And it's very unlikely just adding a sump pump is
going to fix it.


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Joe Bobst
 
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Default

Just paint the floor with epoxy and wait a few years to see how your flood
control measures are working, then go for something more elaborate. Good luck.

Joe
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David
 
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I guess I have a slightly different take on this. A basement that has
a history of flooding is a poor candidate to finish into anything,
regardless of what kind of floor you try to put down, without first
fixing whatever the problem is. I'd spend money on that before I did
anything else. And it's very unlikely just adding a sump pump is
going to fix it.


The major point of the water entry (say 98%) is from the basement
garage. The driveway slopes down into the basement for a one car
garage, so the only real water intrustion point is from the driveway
sending water under the garage door. The original drainage system was
a 1 inch deep trench that diverts water that comes under the door to
the side of the garage and foundation wall where the trench continues
for a few feet and empties into a drain in the floor. The floor drain
is well, about 80 years old, so needless to say, doesn't drain very
well. I think a sump pump installed in the current drain's position
and pumping the water into the back yard would fix the problem as the
water is not entering the basement through any of the other walls.
Basically, if I can stop the water at that one point, I shouldn't have
any future flooding problems (at least I hope).
Any other advise or recommendations on dealing with the water would be
appreciated though.
Thanks everyone,
David
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