Uneven Concrete fl (+moisture)
Hi, I’m wondering if you guys can help with suggestions on what to do with our rather crooked concrete (sub)floor. It’s on the garden level of a small frame house with no basement. We removed the tiles and the exposed concrete subfloor is sloped and uneven (a few inches difference over 50 ft front to…
Hi, I’m wondering if you guys can help with suggestions on what to do with our rather crooked concrete (sub)floor. It’s on the garden level of a small frame house with no basement. We removed the tiles and the exposed concrete subfloor is sloped and uneven (a few inches difference over 50 ft front to back).
In addition, with all the snow past couple of weeks and the old tiles gone, we now see three moisture spots on the perimeters of the extension (contained within the last 5 ft of the kitchen that we’re also redoing). Plan is to dig and put gravel or pour concrete around the extension, but this has to wait till the weather’s warmer. And until we know how effective this remedy will be, we can’t decide which type of flooring can be installed.
Since this ground floor will be our main living space (living, dining, and kitchen), we eventually want a floor covering that’s softer and warmer underfoot than concrete or tiles (Although our contractor recommends tiles). Bamboo would be ideal, but we also like cork and linoleum. But for now, our budget is limited and we probably want a temporary solution that’s cheap(er) and easier to replace/cover up.
Another problem we have is that the ceiling is low (under 7′ in some areas), so we want to avoid raising the existing floor level.
What do people recommend as to:
1) Do we live with finished concrete for now, or should we put in tiles or some other moisture-proof flooring before the kitchen cabinets go in?
2) If we go with concrete, how should we prep the surface, so we can install a real floor later? Is griding down thinset/concrete a good option, as opposed to self-leveler?
3) If we put in flooring now, are there options other than tiles (taking into account the moisture issue)?
4) Can we install flooring later without removing the kitchen cabinets (IKEA Akurum) and appliances?
5) Is there some genius solution out there that we aren’t aware of?
This is a lot to think about for us and we have a week to make the decision. If anyone has had similar experience and/or willing to share your ideas, I’d much much appreciate it. TIA.
Many thanks to jre and renomandru for invaluable advice! We were leaning toward the idea of putting in engineered wood (for lack of $$$) then when budget allows we’d possibly lower the floor… Then the rain storm hit last Saturday! The garden floor got flooded so we need to address the drainage issue first, then put in tiles in the flood-prone area. Better safe than sorry… I really appreciate your thoughtful and informative replies though.
You’re getting good advice from jre. I would also really consider having a new slab poured and gaining ceiling height while you are at it. Digging some exploratory trenches inside the basement along the foundation will tell you how far the footing goes down and how much you can drop the floor without the need for underpinning. You may find your current slab surprisingly thin and easy to break up. This is something you can to with a medium size sledge and shovel. Patching it after you have explored is easy and something you can do, as well.
In addition to a moisture barrier and gravel under the new slab, you may want to consider rigid insulation and then radiant flooring, which really makes those cold tiles palatable during the heating season.
And while you have the floor dug up, that would be of course the time to replace old sewer and drain pipes.
Got no money? Just enough for flooring materials and the Ikea cabinets? Then, yes, you can put the cabinets in now, excavate the exterior, waterproof the exposed foundation, and put in gravel to promote drainage, and then put in flooring on top of your sloping basement floor and around your cabinets. Try to get it under the appliances, though. If you put down a moisture barrier on top of the concrete (like roofing felt), you can probably get away with a floating floor like engineered wood, cork, or Marmoleum Click, as long as you don’t expect flooding. Dampness is one thing, puddles another. Those options will feel much warmer and won’t require thinset or adhesive. The advantage of this approach is that you could conceivably remove and reinstall it later when budget for the new, lower slab allows for it.
If your floor is not only sloped but also not level, you will have to level first with floor leveler for the floating floor.
Good luck!
Much to think in one week. This is not something I would jump into, unless you have ample resources and a contractor who is prepared and capable to deal whatever comes up. It also helps if your home is detached. Otherwise be prepared to deal with the neighbors.
Sounds like you are living in an ancient bungalow to which an extension and another floor may have been added. You have no basement, maybe no foundation or footing either, don’t be surprised by what you will find, first and foremost, dig some holes at the foundation walls and see what is holding up the building. You don’t want to remove the concrete and find that the surrounding areas are plain dirt.
As for the floor being out of level five inches. Most likely it is just a bum job, pouring cement onto your existing floor will only compound the problem, especially since your ceiling is at seven feet now.
After you have determined what you have as far as foundation and footings, remove the concrete, dig down as deep as you can so long as you stay above the edge of the footing. Install a vapor barrier, pour a new level slab.
Don’t be surprised if when removing the concrete you find granite boulders in the ground, which may be the reason for the present slope, if the boulders are small you can dig down and bury them deeper, if they are huge, you will need to drill and split them with a hydraulic rock splitter.
There are many variables with this kind of work, whatever you do, don’t cut corners, doing it right from the get go will add height and allow you to use whatever finishing you want.
Good luck,