Ugh we need to remodel our bathroom. Needed: new tile in shower. Reality: new tile in shower, new tile floor, replace cabinets and vanity, in floor heating and replace the window. 
The Home Renovation Thread
Have a plumbing & heating guy coming tomorrow, considering putting in central air, possibly doing it before Christmas to get it over with while we have the cash available.
Tying to get stuff done, so when the baby comes in the summer I don't have a pile of stuff that needs time/money.
Tying to get stuff done, so when the baby comes in the summer I don't have a pile of stuff that needs time/money.
Shakey
#TheGolfWhisperer
I'd seriously consider LVT (luxury vinyl tile) planks as well. Much easier maintenance & gives you the same look as wood & better then laminate flooring IMO.
You can wet mop as well & replacing damaged sections is a breeze compared to fixing laminate if a section of it gets damaged. Here's a link to Shaw's selections, but there are a ton of options out there now.
https://shawfloors.com/flooring/resilient
The Papa
2015 Fantasy Golf Winner
LVT is another great option. There are 2 types of LVT... floating and direct glue. The floating installs by locking the planks together. The direct glue is of course directly glued to the subfloor. The disadvantage of installing LVT over a laminate would be getting the concrete perfectly smooth. NOT necessarily perfectly level, just smooth. Although level is always better and think glass smooth. LVT would most likely be easier as a DIY project. Smooth floor, undercut door casing and jambs, drop a chalk line, spread glue, let dry to the tack, lay LVT. No power tools really needed except to reinstall baseboards when finished.
GolferMahn
New member
Insulation and caulking make a huge difference. Efficiency works.
We have the same house as our neighbors. In the summer we keep it at 71*, they keep it at 80. We also have tons of ceiling fans going. Our electric bill might be $135-140 when theirs is ~$300. The difference? Years ago we went with vinyl siding, new double paned windows, well insulated doors, and oversized efficient A/C units. It's more than paid for itself.
We have the same house as our neighbors. In the summer we keep it at 71*, they keep it at 80. We also have tons of ceiling fans going. Our electric bill might be $135-140 when theirs is ~$300. The difference? Years ago we went with vinyl siding, new double paned windows, well insulated doors, and oversized efficient A/C units. It's more than paid for itself.
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now the the fundation issues are solved, I am ready to start finishing the basement. Our next step is to build a subloor on the concrete slab that I will have to shim to make it level, we have well over an inch of differences from the highest to the lowest point.
my plan so far: install a vapor barrier on the concrete, fix forences to th floor and come back with another layer of forrences, using shims between the layers to make it level. them a plywood and flooring.
am I forgeting something? or is there another way to do it? I looked into self leveling concrete, but it would be very expensive.
I have about 550 sq ft to do
thanks for the help, I am new to this kind of stuff
my plan so far: install a vapor barrier on the concrete, fix forences to th floor and come back with another layer of forrences, using shims between the layers to make it level. them a plywood and flooring.
am I forgeting something? or is there another way to do it? I looked into self leveling concrete, but it would be very expensive.
I have about 550 sq ft to do
thanks for the help, I am new to this kind of stuff
X.Man
Well-known member
My first thought was self leveling concrete but don't know the costs up your way. What is the planned finish floor?
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about self leveling concrete, I was told that it wasn't ideal for the thickness I needed anyways
most likely a laminate. I would like hardwood, but I have been told it wasn't the best idea for a basement.
golfinFF
Active member
How tall are your ceilings? How tall do you want to keep them?
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X.Man
Well-known member
The Home Renovation Thread
Basements are bit different as they tend to hold more moisture. Don't know how thick you need the self leveling concrete to be but the less expensive route may be to add at least a 5mil vapor barrier, and you can either shim up and/or use at least 1/2" or 3/4" plywood but you'll have to be conscious of floor height. I'm not a huge fan of laminate in moisture areas. I always recommend at least an engineered wood floor. Some engineered wood floors can be had for the same cost of premium laminate. But the install is different. You can float, nail down or glue down engineered
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Basements are bit different as they tend to hold more moisture. Don't know how thick you need the self leveling concrete to be but the less expensive route may be to add at least a 5mil vapor barrier, and you can either shim up and/or use at least 1/2" or 3/4" plywood but you'll have to be conscious of floor height. I'm not a huge fan of laminate in moisture areas. I always recommend at least an engineered wood floor. Some engineered wood floors can be had for the same cost of premium laminate. But the install is different. You can float, nail down or glue down engineered
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I measured the lowest point, under the support beam, I currently have 79.5 inches otherwise I am at about 87 inches.
the 79 inches spot is the part that worries me, I need to keep it at least 74-75 inches. luckily, that part is where the floor is the highest, so not much shimming there so I figured two layers of forence, a plywood and flooring would make up under 4 inches ?
I just redid the insulation and thefrench drain so moisture shouldn't be that big of an issue, but I get your point, I will look into engineered wood floors. I also heard about vinyl floorings, they could be a good option
X.Man
Well-known member
Yep if moisture isn't the issue then next up would be worried about floor height. Engineered wood floor is definitely going to raise your floor height over laminate or vinyl flooring. And you'll need to be conscious of thickness of plywood for nail down applications of engineered wood floor. Vinyl flooring is definitely a really good option. I think if you look a few posts back we were talking about it. Good option
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Does the floor slope in one direction of is it more like a rollercoaster?
The Papa
2015 Fantasy Golf Winner
This is a great question regarding floor covering. Roller coastering is a much much bigger issue than a floor that is not level. A sloping floor can still be covered fairly easy IF THE ENTIRE floor is sloping. If only a portion of the floor is dropping off then I suggest you spend some time leveling or bringing up the low spot.
Self leveling concrete isnt too bad to use. It's done in stages. Sika and Mapei are 2 manufacturers that make a great product.
Regarding floor covering thickness... a 12mm laminate will be close to the same thickness as a 1/2" engineered hardwood.
My opinion would suggest a laminate if you're installing yourself. Hardwood is twice the money and should you have a ground moisture issue you're out twice as much money and demo will be much much harder. Which brings up another point. For less than $40 you can conduct a calcium chloride test to find how much moisture you're concrete is emitting prior to choosing floor covering. You will probably need to contact a prefessional floor layer or a flooring store to find out where to purchase the test.
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the slope is shaped a bit like a turtle shell. the higher point is in the middle and its slanting near the outside walls
If the sloping is gradual and more rounded you can probably last pretty much any flooring without needing to level things out. If you have a fairly sharp peak you'll run into problems laying rigid flooring where some of the floor can get "high centered".
If you have a four foot level spend some time moving it around the slab in the direction you intend to run the floor. If you hit spots where the level can see saw you may run into issues laying rigid flooring. I suspect you'll be ok if the pour was good.
The Papa
2015 Fantasy Golf Winner
Rereading the previous posts... you have about a 4" drop around surrounding walls from the center of the floor? What is the room size or square footage you're trying to level?
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you can easily feel the slope by standing there, I have to level il, no question
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its is a 1.5 - 2 inches drop, and the room is 525 sq ft
If you go with 1x sleepers and sub floor you're at 1 1/2 plus your floor thickness at your highest point. Then, even with full 3/4 flooring you're only at 2 1/4.
I would rent/borrow a laser level to find the highest point and start there. Get the flattest material you can find for your sleepers. Bow you can deal with but anything with twist should be discarded. How you run the sleepers will determine the direction the floor is run.
Looking for a little help here. I've got an outlet in the garage with a GFCI. I'm using it as the power source to a solid string of lights. I've got a non GFI outlet on the front of the house with two strings running from it. Both have worked continuously until now. The reset button on the GFCI won't stay plugged in. Neither of the two described outlets have power. I don't see any other GFIs that have tripped. I reset all circuit breakers labeled "downstairs" (none are labeled for the garage). Still no power. It has been raining a lot. Thoughts?
T2GRN18
Active member
Sounds like you have short in one of the strings of lights possibly. Unplug them and hit the reset button. If it stays in then you know the GFCI is working properly. Then plug them in one at a time to see if it trips. It will trip instantly if you do have a short in one of the strands of lights.
Thanks buddy, you da man. I thought I did that but was frazzled, so probably not. I took the kids to hoops practice, came back with a fresh outlook, read your advice, methodically did it and we have power again.
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Sanzabar
Oh So Colt!
Looking for thoughts, comments and concerns on Hardiplank Siding!?
Does anyone have experience with it or have it on their current home?
Does anyone have experience with it or have it on their current home?