Basement Cement Floor ?

[GolfVenture]

Found a good size and long crack in my basement cement floor. It's about 1/8 inch wide and 5 feet long. Could be longer when I get to the other side of the wall and replace that carpet also. I plan on using fix-all to fill inthe gap.

 

My questions is, is there something better to fill in the crack or does it even matter.

 

Also I plan on putting DryLok (Home Depot - Masonry WaterProofer) on the cement floor before laying new wood floor and carpet. Is this a good Idea. My wife believes that mold is a health issue that our medical world has not done much research and really is ignoring this issue. There is paint residue from the initial buildng process on the cement floor, but not much.

 

Or will such a waterproofing cause more of a mildue and mold issue. I was thinking that maybe it is better to allow the cement floor to breath.

 

Thanks for your opinion.

 

PS I do not have a water problem in the basement for I'm on a gently sloping piece of property.

[bongobobny]

OK My feelings on the subject but I'm no expert. As far as the crack, to do it properly you need to chisel or grind a V trench into the crack to properly fill and bond it. As far as sealing the concrete I think it is a good idea as it will seal moisture from the outside and it should prevent black mold. Myself I would use more of an epoxy sealer like what you would use on a garage floor than dryloc if water in the basement is not an issue, but it will be more costly but a lot more durable...

[XV1100SE]

Before you fill the crack (and I agree to making a groove in the crack and treat it with something so the filler bonds to the concrete)... tap the floor in different areas and listen for sound changes. If you have a hollow sound the ground under the concrete may have settled and you should fill that area (drill holes thru floor and use an expanding material to fill them). If you are planning on finishing the floor, better to check this while you have the concrete exposed.

 

You didn't mention... how old is the house?

 

I'm not a concrete expert (and never done a garage floor!) but seen enough renovation shows about basements.

 

With my basement, I did an acid etch and then painted the floor with paint for concrete. This seals the floor so you don't get dust coming off it. Can't do this until the concrete has aged a while. The concrete floor paint will tell you how long to let it age before applying.

[midnightventure]

If you have any mold at all get a dehumidifier. Makes it much more comfortable.

[Trader]

Home Depot sells a product that is a like a honeycomb of plastic mounted on the back of OSB board. It's not cheap, (I think it was $6 for a 2x2 tile)

it lifts the floor up (about 1/2 inch) and allows air to move under the floor.

[CaptainJoe]

Does you floor ever get wet... How bout after it rains? if it does i wouldn't cover with anything till you fix the problem with a french drain, down spout extensions, floating basement floor etc...

 

If it stays dry 100% 0f the time... I'd patch crack then install either a ceramic/porclean tile floor, or, dryloc and install one of those floating imatation wood floors over foam...can't recall the name.

 

As the basement is the lowest place of the house, you can bank on where the waters going to go if you ever get a leak. Also, no need for a dehumidifier "IF" you have a cold air return and a vent at each end of the basement . the forced air heater and air conditioner will take care of that . If not, then your gonna be stuck with a dehumidifier...

 

Wood and carpeting can retain water, hence the chance of mold is pretty good.

 

Just my 2 cents...

Edited November 20, 2011 by CaptainJoe

[jilldwr]

I 2nd the Dricore idea. I used the Dricore Product from Home Depot (www.dricore.com) to cover my basement floors. It raised the tempurature of the basement almost 20°f from previous, and stops "wicking" of moisture into the basement reducing dehumidifier cycles.

For the crack, I'd use something like Emecole concrete repair kit: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohd0b-dzcFY]D-I-Y Concrete Floor Crack Repair - YouTube[/ame]

 

Good Luck!