There's a 20+ page thread elsewhere on this subject -TMI - so i thought i'd try a reset.
serious water downstairs in our bi-level a few weeks ago - tore up about 500 sq ft of berber, padding and vinyl tiles...$165 just to get it hauled away...been obsessing on the net since then on how to fix/replace...don't wanna go with carpet again..we have intermittent water problems, mostly due to poor vigilance re: freezing gutters, clogged gutters...minor stuff but noticeable.
I've got a big ol' concrete floor that looks black due to the adhesive from the tiles that were there - floor seems to be in good shape to the eye - no cracks. apparently as level as you could expect...not smooth to the touch, but not particularly bumpy either...
so here's my plan:
(note - guy at lum liq says in order to ever get anything to stick to the old adhesive left on the floor, i'll have to cover/seal it with something any new adhesive will stick to - this is common knowledge according to my endless inquiries - unfortunately, it's ridiculously expensive...$50 a gallon...a bit less for cement type product but with my limited expertise if i try to skim-coat something it'll probably turn out worse than the flood.
1. clean floor up - get rid of pieces of padding still stuck to it, staples, etc
2. give the floor a real good cleaning with an anti-mold agent - something more heavy-duty than a clorox solution ; or maybe the clorox - depends on what's out there.
3. put a coat of KILZ or dep or whatever to seal things up bit, make it neat and tidy, etc.
4. install allure resilient vinyl plank flooring from home depot. this is a "floating" product that just sticks to itself on the edges...from what i've read it goes down pretty easy once you figure it out and looks good to boot. When i described what my deal is, the nice, knowledgeable guy at HD (not a kid) said this stuff could go right over everything, making sure the surface was suitably flat
my concerns are this: some people have had an odor problem, but i've got plenty of windows down there so not that big a concern; edges not sticking/curling up - but i figure with the proper

ENCOURAGEMENT

my crew (wife and daughter) will not ever let that happen, and if it does it'll be their fault and their job to fix it;a few people have said that when they had to take it off for one reason or another, there was mold on the concrete apparently since the vinyl won't let the concrete - let's say aspirate - properly. i've been thinking of a 4-6 mil vapor barrier prior to the allure. i will say we've had at least two busted pipes over the years with plenty of h2o to go around, but the carpet seemed to be in pretty good shape after 15+ years...it was just too wet in too much space to lift and dry this time..
I would truly and sincerely welcome you're thoughts and feelings regarding this matter...i gotta do something quick...its a mess down there!!!!!
THANX
serious water downstairs in our bi-level a few weeks ago - tore up about 500 sq ft of berber, padding and vinyl tiles...$165 just to get it hauled away...been obsessing on the net since then on how to fix/replace...don't wanna go with carpet again..we have intermittent water problems, mostly due to poor vigilance re: freezing gutters, clogged gutters...minor stuff but noticeable.
I've got a big ol' concrete floor that looks black due to the adhesive from the tiles that were there - floor seems to be in good shape to the eye - no cracks. apparently as level as you could expect...not smooth to the touch, but not particularly bumpy either...
so here's my plan:
(note - guy at lum liq says in order to ever get anything to stick to the old adhesive left on the floor, i'll have to cover/seal it with something any new adhesive will stick to - this is common knowledge according to my endless inquiries - unfortunately, it's ridiculously expensive...$50 a gallon...a bit less for cement type product but with my limited expertise if i try to skim-coat something it'll probably turn out worse than the flood.
1. clean floor up - get rid of pieces of padding still stuck to it, staples, etc
2. give the floor a real good cleaning with an anti-mold agent - something more heavy-duty than a clorox solution ; or maybe the clorox - depends on what's out there.
3. put a coat of KILZ or dep or whatever to seal things up bit, make it neat and tidy, etc.
4. install allure resilient vinyl plank flooring from home depot. this is a "floating" product that just sticks to itself on the edges...from what i've read it goes down pretty easy once you figure it out and looks good to boot. When i described what my deal is, the nice, knowledgeable guy at HD (not a kid) said this stuff could go right over everything, making sure the surface was suitably flat
my concerns are this: some people have had an odor problem, but i've got plenty of windows down there so not that big a concern; edges not sticking/curling up - but i figure with the proper
I would truly and sincerely welcome you're thoughts and feelings regarding this matter...i gotta do something quick...its a mess down there!!!!!
THANX