zelda
11-28-04, 11:14 AM
This is my fifth year in an 85 year old house in Winnipeg, Canada (6 months of winter). What that means in terms of my basement floor is that it is old stone concrete, rough, not nicely finished. All basements here are damp in some way, but it's kind of a fact of life here, especially with an old porous floor. The basement is not insulated and is used solely for storage and laundry facilities.
My problem:
The previous owner had slapped down tile on top of the floor. As I was tidying up the basement, I decided to throw away some of those tiles that were getting loose and annoying. To my surprise (or not) ALL of the tiles were loose, and so I pried them all up. Underneath, it was damp (not puddles) and ugly.
After considering a few options, I decided to paint. I went to my local hardware store for advice. They said to use Goof Off for what was left of the adhesive, then muriatic acid, then paint.
I have begun that disgusting process. I don't think the floor will ever get *clean*. But that's ok. I'm really just looking for a passable and cost-effective fix. I do not want to overhaul my basement, as it really isn't worth it to me. I just want to be able to sweep it up when it gets dusty, and wipe up the cat vomit more easily!
But the floor is really rough. This isn't poured concrete, it's the consistency of really poor, old concrete. Can I just slap the paint on anyway or should I really fill in the roughness with something? I've already bought a gallon of Behr's Porch and Floor Interior/Exterior Mildew Resistant paint (it's what the paint store recommended).
Any thoughts or suggestions?
My problem:
The previous owner had slapped down tile on top of the floor. As I was tidying up the basement, I decided to throw away some of those tiles that were getting loose and annoying. To my surprise (or not) ALL of the tiles were loose, and so I pried them all up. Underneath, it was damp (not puddles) and ugly.
After considering a few options, I decided to paint. I went to my local hardware store for advice. They said to use Goof Off for what was left of the adhesive, then muriatic acid, then paint.
I have begun that disgusting process. I don't think the floor will ever get *clean*. But that's ok. I'm really just looking for a passable and cost-effective fix. I do not want to overhaul my basement, as it really isn't worth it to me. I just want to be able to sweep it up when it gets dusty, and wipe up the cat vomit more easily!
But the floor is really rough. This isn't poured concrete, it's the consistency of really poor, old concrete. Can I just slap the paint on anyway or should I really fill in the roughness with something? I've already bought a gallon of Behr's Porch and Floor Interior/Exterior Mildew Resistant paint (it's what the paint store recommended).
Any thoughts or suggestions?