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Basement Floor Fill & level

13859 Views 10 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  Crispy
My basement floor has heaved cracks like a mountain range covering most of the area , i jack-hammered out the highest cracks and peaks and where they joined up ( pic attach ) .

Question was to fill and get back to reasonably level , what products would i use . A regular concrete mix to fill then a self-level over that . I will be installing carpet and some laminate over top with a nice underlay and a dimpled membrane for a little more give so it doesnt have to be 100%

Thanks,

Chris

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Chris, welcome to CT, if you have not yet done it, go to the INTRO page and let the guys know a little about your proffesional exp, To answer your question, it looks like you have some pretty good size opening, get some crack resistent 80lb bags of sakrete or equal, fillem in, trowel them flush. Also, if it where my basement i would install those 2x2 floor panels that the box stores sell, this will create a nice barrier between the floor and the finish carpet, it softens thing up, and transfers much less cold and dampness to your finished space, sorry i dont know the name of the product.GMOD
Ya thanks , ive seen the Dri-core , since the floor isnt and probably wont be 100% level i didnt want to go with a "sturdy " underlay since it will just mimic the peaks and valleys in the floor , was going to use a dimpled membrane type like Ditra but one for carpet and laminate , one brand is called " All-in-One " and then use the foam that comes with the laminate and regular underlay under the carpet portions . It will give it more bounce and a little more give where i need it too :)
Ya thanks , ive seen the Dri-core , since the floor isnt and probably wont be 100% level i didnt want to go with a "sturdy " underlay since it will just mimic the peaks and valleys in the floor , was going to use a dimpled membrane type like Ditra but one for carpet and laminate , one brand is called " All-in-One " and then use the foam that comes with the laminate and regular underlay under the carpet portions . It will give it more bounce and a little more give where i need it too :)

Not sure, maybe someone else will comment, i think the drycore might level out the floor more since it is rigid, it can span some of the imperfections, unlike a membrane that will conform to the floor perfectly, also the drylock, since the panel are 2x2, will flex and conform a bit as well. GMOD PS, you could also go with a MAPEI leveler after the main patchwork, that would really tighten things up.
I haven't tried myself, but have heard of people using delta MS dimpled drainage membrane, then sheeting over top. its much cheaper than the 2x2 panels
This is what i was thinking of using over the concrete then the foam and underlay for the carpet and laminate , i was just thinking over the high spots the membrane plus various underlays will 'float' over them better than a rigid product , but thats why im here ! not sure :)

http://www.superseal.ca/all_in_one_subfloor.html
I have all the 'cracks' filled now , just used a concrete mix from supply store for the deeper parts and a sand mix for the more shallow spots. I only filled everything about 90% to avoid more high spots . I had some mortar left over from tub install . Was wondering if i could use that over patch areas to smooth and fill in the valleys . Or best to leave it alone , and floor over top ?
Did you correct the cause or just fix and cover the problem areas.
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Its a 30 yr old house with sulfates eating away at it , im not sure what caused the original heaves , bad poor , cold conditions but i got estimates from 25-35K to completely remove concrete and 6 inches of earth , under wall footings ,the whole show . Which i cant afford to do nor am i gonna retire in this house so why bother i think . From the pic u can see i jack-hammered about 4-6 " on each side of heave to remove high spots , then i just filled back in thats where im at now.
Am i on the right track for at least a decent fix , i was going to use http://www.superseal.ca/all_in_one_subfloor.html over the concrete then just a good laminate/foam underlay over top of that .
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