Basement Floor...A bit overwhelmed with options

[madmikeee]

Hi Folks. Just finished clearing out the basement...30 yd dumpsters worth . Now it is still cluttered and I still have quite a bit of work ahead of me but it's time to start planning the floors.

I will be getting a foundation person in to inspect and repair a few small problem areas first. I am having some water seepage through some of the block so that needs to be addressed but for my part I am starting to plan out how to finish the floors. I need some suggestions, not only for finishing products but how to clean the 30+ years worth of dust.

I Started by doing some general sweeping to get the big stuff up. That kicked up a TON of dust. Once I got the larger floor debris up I broke out the shop vac with the hepa filters as the dust is so fine it is like talc. It clogged the filter in under two minutes, Swapped out for the general paper element filter with the same results which completely negated the use of said shop vac. unless I wanted to spend 2 minutes vacuuming and then 5 minutes blowing out the filters, then repeat..

This leads me to my first question. What is the most efficient way to clean these floors? I was considering a power washer but with no active drains it would be pretty labor intensive to power wash a section and then have to **** it up with the wet vac.

Secondly, What "finish" is suggested for a basement? I would love an epoxy style like you see in so many garages but we are talking about almost 1000 sq feet so that could get costly pretty quickly and I am doing this on a shoestring budget. I know that since this is a basement it is likely only going to be light homeowner usage. Basic workshop stuff and storage. Would an off the shelf floor solution be my best bet or any other suggestions? My biggest concern is smell. I do not want anything toxic or flammable floating around as I have a gas fired furnace as well as water heater. Flammable gases would be bad mmmkay..
I watch house flip shows on TV which makes me a professional contractor right? Seriously though I did see one in Hawaii where they did a beautiful stained concrete floor. It was brown and I would like something a little lighter but it looks like they have many colors to choose from. Would that be a good solution?

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Stained and sealed with a wb clear epoxy would be nice and low odor.

 

[madmikeee]

Stained and sealed with a wb clear epoxy would be nice and low odor.

Thanks!, Would you have any suggestions as to a brand and what are we talking per sq ft in cost if you have any idea?

 

[red]

Another solution could be to tile it, since you've watched those shows and are a pro. Just make sure you back butter the tile, ideally you want over 90% coverage on the tile during installation.

Benefits of tile are less than a $1 sq and you won't lose the floor if you get some water in your basement. Tiled my basement 20yrs ago, still looks great and will outlast my grand kids.

Did have a replace a few tiles. Kids playing pool couldn't keep the balls on the table. That stopped after new rule. First ball hitting the floor game is OVER.

 

[buddyboy]

as far as cleaning the floors.

see if you can get a bag for your shop vac, this collects the dirt and dust before it gets to your filter.

also consider getting a trash can and putting a cyclone lid on the top of it:

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/143290/trash-can-cyclone-lid.aspx

i use one and everything ends up in the can and never makes it to the shop vac.

also maybe hang a box fan with a furnace filter taped on it to filter the air.

good luck

 

[duneslider]

Go for the old mop and bucket for cleaning the floor. I think a good wet mopping goes a long way in getting the floor clean. I wouldn't even use any cleaners at first just use a wet mop to start picking everything loose up. Should only cost you the mop and bucket if you don't have those.

When I was tiling peoples homes I would use a bucket and a towel and do it by hand. I wasn't doing a 1000 feet that way but it worked fine for smaller areas.

What kind of workshop work are you intending? Is this wood working, rebuilding engines, working on lawn mowers, kids bikes? Might change what flooring options make the most sense.

 

[SunsetsAndFriends]

buddyboy - "maybe hang a box fan with a furnace filter taped on it to filter the air" - good idea!

duneslider - "Might change what flooring options make the most sense." - good idea.

 

[madmikeee]

Good suggestions all!.. The work down there would be a mix of everything. Woodwork, Repairs, painting, Hobbies etc etc but nothing really intense. I would rather avoid tiling as I just do not have the time for that and I also would like to keep the costs to a minimum.

I have a couple of box fans and I cannot believe I didn't think about the filter thing as I have done that MANY times in the past. Must be old man brain at this point LOL.

 

[maverick302]

Have you considered just doing a densifier? Won't do much for looks but it's a cheap solution for a basement floor

 

[madmikeee]

@Maverick...Just did a little research on that, you're right. Looks good and is inexpensive. I like it! I also noticed that they offer some colorized densifiers. Looking into that now.

Thanks!!

 

[Garage Flooring]

Have you done a moisture test?

For use you say "Basic workshop stuff and storage" are people going to be hanging out down there or is this strictly for functional purposes?

 

[madmikeee]

Have you done a moisture test?

For use you say "Basic workshop stuff and storage" are people going to be hanging out down there or is this strictly for functional purposes?

Probably SOME hanging out but not much. I might make a little man cave down there for myself even though the ceiling height is a little low but that remains to be seen. I have not done a moisture test but I plan on putting a dehumidifier down there as well as opening up some existing duct work in places to have the HVAC system work through there. I have a couple of repair items and areas that need some insulation I need to do before doing that though.

 

[Garage Flooring]

My concern would be moisture coming through the slab. I would start with a basic moisture test and possibly a professional one.

Then you know what will work and what will not


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[madmikeee]

Thanks!! When I get the foundation guy in to inspect and do the few repairs I will ask him about it. I have NEVER seen moisture come UP through the slab, The only water I have seen is through the block walls and ONLY when we have either torrential rain or long periods of it.

 

[maverick302]

Keep us updated on what you end up doing. I'll be in the same boat in a few weeks when we close on our new house.