Hardwood Over Basement Floors That Buckle

AbeBarker

I looked at a job recently where the customer wants a maple floor put over the basement floor. The subfloor is built up about three inches off of the slab and the building is old.
I've seen two hardwood floors around where the flooring buckled, I assume because too much moisture came up through the concrete floor. One floor was Home Depot pre-finnished red Oak and the other was an exspensive Walnut in a high end home.
I'd like to give an estimate on this job. Is there any way to do this job without the floor buckling?

Any info would be appreciated.

ChrWright

Depends on how dry the basement is. If the basement gets regular water, you'll have problems. If it's a wet slab that wicks moister up from underneath, you'll have problems. If the sleepers (I'm assuming this is how the floor was built up) are not installed solidly, you'll have problems. If you don't use a vapor barrier, you'll have problems.

In short, look at the job VERY carefully. Hardwood floors in basements are usually not a good idea in the average home. I wouldn't consider one unless the watertable around the house was bone dry, the grading was perfect, downspouts away, sump pits that stay dry most of the time, etc etc.

(And I'd also never do one without getting the homeowner to sign a waiver /hold harmless agreement recognizing the potention for problems)

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go dart

must be lacking a vapor barrier somewhere. options are
* tear it all out, install barrier new subfloor $ framing. another barrier then finish flooring
* tear it all out as its been wet and is now a mold source. prep for vinyl.

Floordude

No manufacturer of solid wood flooring will warranty a below grade installation.
Hugh humidity, and concrete vapor emissions and even hydrostatic pressure play a big role in the failure of wood flooring, below grade.
Below grade installations, are recommended for engineered wood flooring, "IF" the moisture levels and humidity are within acceptable levels.

Creosote

I agree with FD, back east the moisture content is just to high below grade for wood over crete in basements. I would tend to tell the client to go tile or carpet. I would hope the basement walls are sealed and with good drainage on the outside...

radiant barrier

I used our product, the BARRIER over concrete, no moisture comes up thru it so no buckling, easy to put down and gives a good cushion. see barrett enterprises inc for more info callie

KentWhitten

beware....and I'll say it again...beware of maple and moisture. maple is almost white, and when it's around constant moisture, it turns black very fast and it does not resist rot at all. If you were going to, I would at the very minimum use the engineered flooring.

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Floordude

Have you calculated the shrink & swell coficient of Maple?? It is a mover!!!!

AbeBarker

thanks guys,

I turned the job down.