Basement Floor

[DawgPaw]

Looks like we are getting close to a new house with a basement. About 1000 sq ft will be a woodshop and then storage. All I am familiar with is epoxy, but would that be appropriate for a basement? I know very little about the dealers but they seem to be popular. Would one or the other be better for a woodshop?

Also since this is a new build what will the fix be with either method if it develops any cracks?

 

[Slowgsr]

You could cut your own control joints if they dont. Is code there to have insulation, poly etc under the slab ??

 

[DawgPaw]

Plastic yes but no insulation

 

[Shea]

You have to be careful about applying coatings in a basement due to possible moisture related issues. Have you done a moisture test or inspected for any signs of moisture in the slab?

 

[DawgPaw]

The house is still under construction so no. I’m just looking for ideas.

 

[Garage Flooring]

Looks like we are getting close to a new house with a basement. About 1000 sq ft will be a woodshop and then storage. All I am familiar with is epoxy, but would that be appropriate for a basement? I know very little about the dealers but they seem to be popular. Would one or the other be better for a woodshop?

Also since this is a new build what will the fix be with either method if it develops any cracks?

You have to be careful about applying coatings in a basement due to possible moisture related issues. Have you done a moisture test or inspected for any signs of moisture in the slab?

Not a huge fan of epoxy in a basement. But if the floor was done right and the moisture test was clear it can be done. Have you looked at maybe an acid stain and clear sealer. We are not in that market but several here are. Another option would be PVC tiles

 

[DawgPaw]

My neighborhood went that route in a garage, and I like it. I’m just not sure what others do in basement shops.

 

[FJ4FUN]

I agree with the advice given above. Any basement improvement project considerations should start with simple tape down and/or Calcium Chloride tests and winter-spring is the best time to do these.

 

[Wook660]

I used "stain" from Sherwin Williams in a section of my basement. It gets a lot of abuse and heavy traffic and has held up incredibly well. Its where I keep my firewood. I haven't noticed any scratches or blemishes. It goes on like paint and seems like paint, not sure what makes it a stain but I'm very happy with it. Wish I used it in my garage vs the epoxy that hasn't been very impressive.

 

[James-W]

I suppose it it is all a matter of opinion, as they say, different strokes for different folks. Personally, I don't think epoxy in a basement is such a good idea. However, as has been suggested, I would think PVC floor tiles for a basement workshop would be really nice.

As an added bonus, If at some point in the future you decide to build a detached workshop and move all your equipment/tools into the new shop, the PVC floor tiles will still make a wonderful floor in the basement.

 

[aaron1651]

I had our basement floors done this week. Its does stink up the house for about an week. But its real nice looking

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Try to stick with 100% solids epoxy or water-based sealer/epoxy.
Keeps the stink down.

 

[Ispeed]

I did about 950 sqft of PVC tile. I cleaned it well, mopped the floor, used ghostshield 9500 on it. Then installed the tile. Also a basement that will see the occasional wood project. I still plan to seal the tiles for easy clean up. Will say that I left 6 tiles down while I was building a few drywall closets down there. For the most part they cleaned up well, but if they get really dusty and you have a constant foot traffic over them, they will not clean up. The dust gets imbedded and won’t come out. I’d say saw dust might be the same. This was just a test before a put the full floor down.

 

[Armorpoxy]

We sell a lot of our acrylic sealer for basements since they breathe, or if passes moisture test our www.armorcladepoxy.com.