Basements need to be dry or at least not accumulating water before you ever start any basement flooring project you need to first do some basement flooring preparation. I wouldn’t even think about it without knowing first whether I have a “leaky” problem that needs to be looked into. The trick is, sometimes you can’t even really tell if you have a moisture problem. It is absolutely essential that you fix any problems with dampness or resolve any problems with leaks before you start with basement flooring. After you have done this, wait a while and ensure that the problems have disappeared.
An upfront basement flooring preparation strategy is critical even if you feel like you don’t have wet basement. Humid weather can run rampant and destroy valuable basement flooring. Not only that, who’d want to put the effort and work into something only to see it be destroyed a little more everyday. Humidity a killer, because it causes condensation that forms from the cool floor surface temperatures. A good basement flooring preparation strategy will help you in resolving that musty basement smell.
A method that’s gaining quite a lot of attention for basement flooring preparation is the use of a rigid extruded polystyrene foam board as a basement foam board for quite a few different reasons. First, their extruded skin and closed cell structure provides for outstanding moisture resistance. They are strong because the foam board has been compacted producing very high compressive strength. Extruded polystyrene foam board makes for an excellent polystyrene foam subfloor, is relatively easy to work with, and it provides for excellent thermal performance that offers maximum insulating value. This makes it highly suitable for most common residential and commercial applications as well as for basement flooring preparation.
To begin with this basement flooring preparation method, you will need to start with 1.5 or 2 inch thick extruded polystyrene foam board. Get enough to cover your entire basement floor. They come in 4 foot by 8 foot sheets and depending on the brand and rating you get can range anywhere from $15-$30 a piece with an average floating around the $20 range. Shape that in over your concrete into your basement flooring. You want a good tight fit or else you will probably need to tuck tape all the seams. Then you can recreate your subfloor over the top of this foam board with a minimum of 5/8 inch plywood. Lay the plywood down directly on top of the foam board. Now go back and pre-drill some holes through it all into the concrete so you will be able to secure the entire basement flooring. Next, go back to the holes and secure the subfloor basement flooring to the concrete using some good concrete screws and viola, you’ve just installed an envious and dry subfloor ready to tackle all your basement flooring needs. This subfloor will be able to handle anything from carpet flooring to hardwoods to pretty much anything you can throw at it.
This is one basement flooring preparation project that any do-it-yourself handy person can tackle. Stay tuned as Basement Flooring Guide will present another alternative method to subfloor your basement if this one didn’t suit your fancy.