What basement flooring works well with slight moisture?

[Jawn]

I'm considering putting down some kind of flooring in my basement but I'm worried about moisture. I have noticed in some spots that if I place something impermeable against the floor (such as a plastic chair mat), it'll eventually gather moisture under it. What kind of flooring would you suggest that would have a "finished" look but not be a problem with slight moisture? Cost is important, so nothing on the high end of the scale.

 

[slickgt1]

Ceramic or porcelain tile.

 

[rlitman]

What are you looking to do with this space?
Tile in mud is certainly impervious to water. Many other tile adhesives are not so waterproof.
But there are other options depending on your intended use.

 

[Garage Flooring]

I'm considering putting down some kind of flooring in my basement but I'm worried about moisture. I have noticed in some spots that if I place something impermeable against the floor (such as a plastic chair mat), it'll eventually gather moisture under it. What kind of flooring would you suggest that would have a "finished" look but not be a problem with slight moisture? Cost is important, so nothing on the high end of the scale.

What are you trying to accomplish with the flooring and how is the basement used.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

One option is a negative side waterproofing membrane. Mapei makes one, available at good tile stores. Koster is another.

From there epoxy is an option, modular tile, etc...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[theoldwizard1]

Install a Dricore (or other similar product) subfloor. Any moisture or minor leaks will simply find their way to the floor drain.

Besides having a dry subfloor, it will be warmer because it is not in direct contact with the concrete.

 

[Jawn]

There is no floor drain.

The space will be used as a model railroad room / office / laundry room. The Allure vinyl planks claim to be waterproof, but will moisture building up under them be an issue? I guess what I was asking is will moisture buildup under a flooring material be an issue, or is there a "finished" looking flooring that breathes enough to allow the moisture to evaporate? We're not talking about a lot of water, just a little dampness in spots.

 

[volleyball]

Sounds like you don't have water but the concrete gets damp. That would be normal. Doing some drainage around the house will help alleviate the problem.
I am betting the dricore will be sufficient to give you a dry floor. And make sure the flooring on top of that is made for below grade installation.

 

[66coronet500]

You could use these panels under your flooring.
http://www.insofast.com/

 

[Garage Flooring]

Scotty's idea of putting a negative side WP membrane down makes a lot of sense and is probably the best real solution, especially if coupled with some of the other ideas about adding drainage (french drain perhaps). My guess though is this kind of undertaking is a little out of what you were looking to do. Another really good option would be a product like Dricore, but again it may be a little more work and expense than what you are looking for.

Modular garage floor tiles, like ours and most others permit airflow and for the water to dry. The TrueLock Plus Ultra Flat has been really popular for that type of application. The thing to keep in mind there is a modular tile is not fixing the issue it just isn't causing another issue. Scotty's idea is the best long term solution and then you can do whatever you need to do.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I am betting the Dricore will be sufficient to give you a dry floor. And make sure the flooring on top of that is made for below grade installation.

That is the POINT of Dricore ! You can use any kind of flooring one top of it !!

It is a good moisture barrier from dampness below. As I said, it will be warmer than anything laid on concrete. Concrete will always be close to the temperature of the earth below, somewhere around 55F.

 

[volleyball]

Dricore is a non continuous product. It provides a gap. So moisture can pass through any of those gaps. If you want to put down a product that can get damaged, go for it.
A good moisture barrier is not excellent or very good.

 

[Garage Flooring]

Dricore is a non continuous product. It provides a gap. So moisture can pass through any of those gaps. If you want to put down a product that can get damaged, go for it.
A good moisture barrier is not excellent or very good.

You are correct regarding the Dricore. If he is looking for a moisture barrier then that suggestion has been made and I stated I felt it was the best solution in combination with your suggestion of some drainage.

However, if that solution is not something he can do using a product like Dricore or a modular tile will allow the airflow he needs to prevent a mold or mildew issue.

You are correct that he will need to use a flooring product that is not harmed by the moisture, just in case, but that leaves him with a ton of good options.

 

[Dave in Mass]

There is no floor drain.

The space will be used as a model railroad room / office / laundry room. The Allure vinyl planks claim to be waterproof, but will moisture building up under them be an issue? I guess what I was asking is will moisture buildup under a flooring material be an issue, or is there a "finished" looking flooring that breathes enough to allow the moisture to evaporate? We're not talking about a lot of water, just a little dampness in spots.

I used the vinyl planks in a convereted carport at my inlaws house. I was doing a quick flip so my son could move in after they passsed. There was some water penetrations around the sliding door and a chimney that I was going to be covering over and I addressed the water seepage as best I could and installed the vinyl planks. Not sure if I got all the possible water seepage or the floor is that good but I am sure there have been no incidents of water or floor bubbling or raising.

It is cheap enough that I was willing to give it a shot. I suppose if you used a pattern (I used a dark wood grain) you really liked and you did have issues you could pull it up and put it back down over the dry-core stuff.

 

[efncrx]

Buy a dehumidifier....


Model trains aren't a cheap hobby, not worried about items in the basement being damaged from excessive moisture...

 

[miamivice]

Good info here.

 

[justin1795]

like someone else said a dehumidifier. you will be amazed when you have to dump the bucket every other day how much water you really have. I ran one at our old house. it was waterproofed but still pulled lots of water out.

 

[Jawn]

The dehumidifier is a given, but I don't know if it would remove moisture trapped under a floor covering.

 

[volleyball]

A humidity indicator will tell you if you need a dehumidifier or not. It may be that the basement is dry enough to extract moisture from the ground. And a dehumidifier could make it worse.

 

[Jawn]

A humidity indicator will tell you if you need a dehumidifier or not. It may be that the basement is dry enough to extract moisture from the ground. And a dehumidifier could make it worse.

That thought crossed my mind, especially after this winter... my poor skin was in rough shape from how dry the (upstairs part of the) house was.

 

[Jawn]

Well, it's not overly humid... 30-50 percent according to the $10 gauge I got from HD. Temperatures hovering around 60-65 degrees.

I suspect I should just try improving drainage around the outside of the house and see if that puts a stop to this. Then I'll revisit the idea of flooring.

 

[thegarageguy]

In the seamless flooring world, you have 2 choices....

1. Have a breathable epoxy system applied. This treatment can hold back up to 10lbs of vapor pressure and will allow an acceptable 3lbs to pass through and breathe. Someone mentioned dehumidifiers...this will help with the humidity issues big time and will keep the cost down. The only con to this system is that it goes down thin and will not hide imperfections of your existing concrete.

2. Have a waterproof system applied. Legacy mentioned a couple of manufacturers and there are many more. The con to this system is the overall cost. It's definitely more expensive but it's a permanent solution.

Good luck in whatever you do.