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The short answer:
Hydrostatic pressure.
The long answer:
When the foundation of your home was dug, there was a gap between the outer foundation walls and the inner walls. This space was backfilled with soil, but the soil will always be fluffed up and lighter than the virgin soil around it. When it rains, this soil naturally holds much more water than the rest, and a false water table is created around your home.
How does this affect your basement floor?
Your basement is made out of concrete, or perhaps, stone, or brick. Regardless, concrete, mortar, and brick are porous, and water vapor easily travels through as water pressure from the false water table presses on the foundation. Generally, the inside foundation surface won't look damp, because the drier air will suck the moisture out right away and turn it into humidity in the basement.
If you lay wood or carpet on the basement floor or drywall on the walls, it's going to get damp. It's damp, it's warm, and it's organic (drywall has layers of thick paper on its surface. That means mold, rot, mildew, smells, and dust mite feces for your basment. Even "mold resistant" drywall has no warranty against mold.
As a final strike, the air in your home moves upwards. This means that as warm air exits from the attic and upper levels, your basement air comes upstairs. If you have mold spores, odors, and dust mite feces in the basement air, you'll be breathing it in as well. And replacing the moldy, rotting floors will be VERY tough on your bank account.
Find some waterproof sub floor to place on your basement floor that can serve as a vapor barrier to prevent moisture from collecting under your carpet and starting a vicious cycle.
I write the content for Total Basement Finishing. We have some great info about sub floors there as well, if you're interested. Check out http://www.totalbasementfinishing.com/basement-floor.php .
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∙ 16y ago
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What kind of sub floor do you put in a concrete basement floor?
It would depend on the type of floor you are installing. There haven't been enough details about the project provided to answer this question thoroughly. If you are installing engineered hardwood just lay down a 3/4" piece of plywood and a moisture barrier. If you are installing a floating floor, use a moisture barrier and two 1/2" pieces of plywood. see related links
What does sub-floor mean?
under a foundation of a sub.
What type of hardwood floor can be laid on concrete heated floor?
An engineered hardwood floor can be floated or glued-down directly to the floor.Someone has changed the original question, or added it to this question, for what reason I have no clue.Question; Can you put underfloor heating under hardwood floorsYes, thousands of homes have radiant heat that runs in between the floor joist of a home.This is done underneath the floor and sub floor and if you where in the basement, when you look up between the floor joist, you would see the heat lines. This is accomplishedwith the use of a boiler. The lines do not throw off massive heat that would cause the hardwood floor to warp or buckle.
How do you install carpet in basement floor?
Carpet install on CONCRETECarpet in a basement assumes that it is a concrete sub floor..Either glue it down.. Very easy!!!!! go to the Depot & buy a trowel & some carpet adhesiveOrTackstrip & pad then stretch the carpet just like anywhere else.. Seams are tricky & setting the tack strip on the concrete is about as much fun as a root canal.. Think about letting a pro install carpet on a concrete floor...Look on youtube there are some good free how to install videos out there
Can a leaky concrete wall be repaired from inside the basement?
Concrete walls will usually leak from wall cracks or from the joint where the floor and wall meet. Both can be fixed from inside by installing a sub-floor drainage system and a good wall sealer that will expand and contract along with the foundation. The Only Product that is FLOOD TESTED and PROVEN to work inside is ArmorGuard Basement Coatings, ArmroGuard Coatings are Non_Toxic, Odorless and Permanent, This Will SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS GUARANTEED. Go to www.ecosmartepoxysystems.com for more information
How do you lay a basement sub floor?
Dricore
Do you need a sub-floor in your basement?
Usually yes, a well insulated sub-floor will save you lots of money from heating. You can choose to build a sub-floor on 2x4 lumber with moisture barrier or use those sub-floor tiles (usually come in as 2x2).
When was Sub-Basement created?
Sub-Basement was created in 2001-02.
How do you get water out of basement with out a sub pump?
Depending on your city or county you can install an above floor basement waterproofing system and drain the water to a drain instead of a sump pump. Waterproof.com has an above floor basement waterproofing system that you can install yourself for around $4 per foot. I hope this helps, if not please elaborate
Can you lay ceramic tile directly on sub floor?
No unless it is a cement substrate. Wood sub floors are not strong enough. You need to have a mud bed poured or put some type of cement board down.
What types of underlay are suitable for laminate flooring?
The type of underlay you need will depend on the type of sub floor or floor you are putting the laminate on is made of. If the sub floor is made of concrete, you would want vapor barrier underlay. If the sub floor is made of wood a standard or premium underlay would used.
What is the load rating of a 2 x 10 wooden floor?
We would need to know the span and sub-floor material.
What kind of sub floor do you put in a concrete basement floor?
It would depend on the type of floor you are installing. There haven't been enough details about the project provided to answer this question thoroughly. If you are installing engineered hardwood just lay down a 3/4" piece of plywood and a moisture barrier. If you are installing a floating floor, use a moisture barrier and two 1/2" pieces of plywood. see related links
Building Foundation and sub-structure what is it?
building foundation is the base of any building which receive load from the building, resist it and transfer it to the subsoil. substructure is the structure below the ground floor bed including the ground floor bed. substructure composes of foundation, basement and ground floor bed.
What does sub floor mean?
under a foundation of a sub.
What does sub-floor mean?
under a foundation of a sub.
What type of hardwood floor can be laid on concrete heated floor?
An engineered hardwood floor can be floated or glued-down directly to the floor.Someone has changed the original question, or added it to this question, for what reason I have no clue.Question; Can you put underfloor heating under hardwood floorsYes, thousands of homes have radiant heat that runs in between the floor joist of a home.This is done underneath the floor and sub floor and if you where in the basement, when you look up between the floor joist, you would see the heat lines. This is accomplishedwith the use of a boiler. The lines do not throw off massive heat that would cause the hardwood floor to warp or buckle.
