7 years ago I finished part of my basement for my office and man room - well, not a real man room (no bar or TV), but musical stuff and my treadmill, etc.
I did a soundproof job and it has worked out very well - except the floor!
I made a few mistakes that y'all should take heed of.
First, don't use carpet in the basement. Secondly, if you do, don't use padding!
Our basement is not wet. But the padding and carpet tend to wick moisture up out of a slab at certain times of years. Just don't do it - ok?
So, it's time to fix it...and like the Kinks, I'm on a low budget......also, no kids playing down there, so no need for certain amenities like a really soft floor. Here's what I am up to so far...my intention is to finish the floor with epoxy and also use area mats.
1. Remove existing carpet and pad - this came off pretty easily using a hooked carpet knife and utility knife. I rolled it up in small, easy to handle rolls and taped them up. The entire 450 square feet fit in the back of the Subaru and off to the dump they went!
2. Removal of adhesive - since I intend on using an epoxy floor finish, the slab must be clean. I found some online reviews of a product called 777 - and bought a gallon at HD. It works quite well, although a lot of elbow grease is involved in ALL of these steps!
My advice, if possible, is that DIY'ers should do these jobs in spurts of a hour or two to avoid your arms or body wearing out! Or, if you have some friends or hired help, have at it!
3. Removal of baseboard and carpet tack strips - The handy roofing tool shown in the pic does a good job on both - again, it takes some work...especially for the carpet strips, which are nailed to the slab.
A note on baseboard. I am disgusted with the "fiber" baseboard that is commonly used in newer homes. I have found that even the slightest bit of moisture bleeds through the stuff - even on many first floor installations. I'd suggest using something else when possible - and using good primer or talking to a real painting or housebuilding pro about whether primer fixes this problem.
I intend to replace the baseboard with glued vinyl cove.
Ok, so that is where I am at. The glue remover, scraper and roofing tool are shown in one of the pics....
My intention on the paint is to use this - it seems to have good reviews and also breathes - which should mean that the floor does not wick up moisture as badly - at least not due to the floor finish.
http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-20...15DI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329764972&sr=8-1
When I am done the epoxy and cove molding, I will put down some snap-together flooring in key areas - probably foam squares or similar. This will allow me to stand on the softer floor when playing guitar, etc.
Estimated cost of job including some tools (scraper) and the flooring in certain area - less than $350 for the basic - and maybe another $350 for the floor mats (150 sf of them)
It's the elbo grease which is costly.
:lol:
I did a soundproof job and it has worked out very well - except the floor!
I made a few mistakes that y'all should take heed of.
First, don't use carpet in the basement. Secondly, if you do, don't use padding!
Our basement is not wet. But the padding and carpet tend to wick moisture up out of a slab at certain times of years. Just don't do it - ok?
So, it's time to fix it...and like the Kinks, I'm on a low budget......also, no kids playing down there, so no need for certain amenities like a really soft floor. Here's what I am up to so far...my intention is to finish the floor with epoxy and also use area mats.
1. Remove existing carpet and pad - this came off pretty easily using a hooked carpet knife and utility knife. I rolled it up in small, easy to handle rolls and taped them up. The entire 450 square feet fit in the back of the Subaru and off to the dump they went!
2. Removal of adhesive - since I intend on using an epoxy floor finish, the slab must be clean. I found some online reviews of a product called 777 - and bought a gallon at HD. It works quite well, although a lot of elbow grease is involved in ALL of these steps!
My advice, if possible, is that DIY'ers should do these jobs in spurts of a hour or two to avoid your arms or body wearing out! Or, if you have some friends or hired help, have at it!
3. Removal of baseboard and carpet tack strips - The handy roofing tool shown in the pic does a good job on both - again, it takes some work...especially for the carpet strips, which are nailed to the slab.
A note on baseboard. I am disgusted with the "fiber" baseboard that is commonly used in newer homes. I have found that even the slightest bit of moisture bleeds through the stuff - even on many first floor installations. I'd suggest using something else when possible - and using good primer or talking to a real painting or housebuilding pro about whether primer fixes this problem.
I intend to replace the baseboard with glued vinyl cove.
Ok, so that is where I am at. The glue remover, scraper and roofing tool are shown in one of the pics....
My intention on the paint is to use this - it seems to have good reviews and also breathes - which should mean that the floor does not wick up moisture as badly - at least not due to the floor finish.
http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-20...15DI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329764972&sr=8-1
When I am done the epoxy and cove molding, I will put down some snap-together flooring in key areas - probably foam squares or similar. This will allow me to stand on the softer floor when playing guitar, etc.
Estimated cost of job including some tools (scraper) and the flooring in certain area - less than $350 for the basic - and maybe another $350 for the floor mats (150 sf of them)
It's the elbo grease which is costly.
:lol: