Subfloor in basement mancave
2 posters
Page 1 of 1
Subfloor in basement mancave
So I'm in the beginning/planning stage of converting my currently unfinished basement with concrete floors into a mancave. I'm curious as to whether or not I should lay down a subfloor? I do live in the NE so it gets cold. In the summer I do run a dehumidier to reduce the musty smell. As far as flooring surfaces go, I plan on different floors for different areas, but mostly carpet and hardwood/laminate. I was hoping to find some people that did lay down a subfloor and if they felt it was worth it, along with some guys that didn't lay down the subfloor and wished they had.
Re: Subfloor in basement mancave
I can't speak with a builder's knowledge of the floor. I believe you need a vapor barrier in almost all cases, as long as your space is relatively dry and there is very little water seeping in. I have a vapor barrier, then carpet pad and then a nicer thick carpet...I don't have to wear shoes in the winter. I live in NJ so it's not Artic and it's not FL. Also, my wife is always cold down there but I personally will turn on the fan sometimes in the dead of winter.
I do want to point out that you have to watch using dehumidifiers in a basement. they can actually weaken your block foundation. if you run your hand on the block and you feel like a loose gritty (almost like fine sand) presense, you are actually pulling the moisture too much.
what you need to do is actually fix the moisture problem. a basement with 0 water issues is actually warmer in the winter then the rest of the house, and cooler in the summer (both as a result of being sunk into the ground). assuming you already have some sort of a french drain or system to deal with the water, try attacking the outside areas such as lengthening the down spouts away from the house, sloping the ground away from the walls, etc... that makes the most different. the only musty smell I get is when I have not cleaned out the garbage can down there in a while.
all joking aside, watch the dehumidifier. we had a neighbor years ago who had the front end of their house collapse by weakening the block so much it could not support the home any longer. I have not ran my unit in years since I addressed all the factors that can lead to moisture entering the basement.
Hope this helps.
I do want to point out that you have to watch using dehumidifiers in a basement. they can actually weaken your block foundation. if you run your hand on the block and you feel like a loose gritty (almost like fine sand) presense, you are actually pulling the moisture too much.
what you need to do is actually fix the moisture problem. a basement with 0 water issues is actually warmer in the winter then the rest of the house, and cooler in the summer (both as a result of being sunk into the ground). assuming you already have some sort of a french drain or system to deal with the water, try attacking the outside areas such as lengthening the down spouts away from the house, sloping the ground away from the walls, etc... that makes the most different. the only musty smell I get is when I have not cleaned out the garbage can down there in a while.
all joking aside, watch the dehumidifier. we had a neighbor years ago who had the front end of their house collapse by weakening the block so much it could not support the home any longer. I have not ran my unit in years since I addressed all the factors that can lead to moisture entering the basement.
Hope this helps.
originalgatman- Posts : 10
Join date : 2009-12-15
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum