Twip of the Day – Dampproofing Concrete Floors

When dealing with basement floors, you must assure that everything is adequately dampproofed. Concrete flooring is notorious for allowing moisture to sweat through. This leads to mold and mildew on the underside of the carpet or wood flooring. The easy solution to this is to dampproof your flooring before placing carpet or wood. This process isn’t difficult, though it is time consuming and sometimes confusing.

Usually, when using dampproofing you will be dealing with a liquid membrane. The liquid membrane is painted on, much like you would paint the walls of your home, and when it dries it creates a hard surface. These membranes are formulated to create a seamless barrier between the underlayment and the concrete slab. This same substance should also be applied to basement walls prior to finishing them. When you do this, you create an airtight seal that protects against moisture.

Dampproofing basement flooring isn’t always easy because cracks may already exist in the flooring, allowing moisture to seep through and causing the cracks to grow larger. If you find this problem, use an epoxy product to patch the holes. It will dry  clear, flat, and completely waterproof.