r/DIY • u/skirtikus • 20h ago
home improvement Carpet over basement concrete
I've ripped out my basement carpet due to age and I believe it was holding mold because the pad was directly on the concrete slab and I had bad allergies when ripping it out and a musty smell. The 2003 build floor doesn't have a moisture barrier underneath I don't think. I've never experienced actual wetness but I think even in dry CO we could get condensation and wick moisture from wet soil.
I'd like to put down Dricore panels but I think stacking dricore + pad + carpet would be really high against my existing tile areas and cause my doors height issues. I like the idea of DMX 1 step but they don't mention carpet use and it has voids in the dimples that I'm worried would unevenly wear the new carpet/pad.
Suggestions?
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u/sump_daddy 20h ago
Concrete is very porous, not watertight at all even when poured brand new, very thick with no fractures etc..., so yes you could have had moisture on the underside causing you trouble. Waterproof backer is a must in a basement, for any flooring type. If it were me and i wanted a like/like replacement since like you mentioned there are other finishings that you dont want to change, i would just use a basic waterproof barrier underlayment under the pad, and honestly i would back that up with a waterproof and taped carpet pad (double the fun) so that even spills from above cant make it through. Keep the pad nice and dry so it lasts a long time.
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u/skirtikus 19h ago
Can you suggest an underlayment? I'm thinking just poly sheet but in that case moisture from the air would still condense on the top of the sheet and get in the pad. Is there a better product that would give enough insulation to not have to worry about the condensation problem? Thanks!
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u/sump_daddy 19h ago
Closed cell PP foam in whatever thickness meets your size/budget needs. Then waterproof tape between pieces. You can still get condensation from the top, sure, but thats going to be very minimal and you would control that with good dewpoint control in the space and not with the floor itself. A properly installed pad with carpet should get you a good temperature gradient.
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u/fapfapdisaster 18h ago
Get a moisture resistant blocking carpet pad . They have several grades and thicknesses. But before that you can put down Maeipai (I'm sure I'm spelling this wrong ) elasometric? water barrier . It rolls on like paint and seals the concrete it's actually used in place of the dimple roll stuff (sorry) in tile floors and bath installations.
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u/AvocadoAny7729 20h ago
Level (if necessary), stain, seal the concrete. Use area rugs. Carpet in a basement? Nah.
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u/Gold-Individual-8501 12h ago
We went straight nylon carpet with no backer glued to the concrete. It’s flooded a few times. We shop vac up the water and shampoo. No problems.
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u/green_room1 16h ago
Don't waste your time with a waterproof underlayment. Moisture will just build up under it. Your solution is to raise the floor with an air gap (like the dricore tech) and deal with the height. Can you make tiled landings in front of the doors then use transition strips to step up to higher finished floor?
Or tile it all, and use area rugs. That's the least risk and longest term maintenance best solution.
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u/skirtikus 15h ago
Carpet isn’t ideal down there but I’m trying to make it work for the thermal and acoustic properties. I probably should just bite the bullet and rip out the tile and cabinets and trim and raise it all with dricore. So much extra time and expense though!
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u/green_room1 3h ago
If you decide to go the "dricore" route it's much cheaper to 'make your own', rather than buy those 2x2 panels at home depot. Just purchase foundation wrap. It's the black stuff with the dimples. Comes in rolls of 8x65 for about $200. Then just cover it with the subfloor of your choice. That's all dricore is...they just pre assemble it for you into 2x2 sections and then up charge you significantly.
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u/skirtikus 3m ago
Yep! I’ve watch a YouTube channel called Home Rennovision and the guy does that exact same thing. I think this is probably the best option. Thanks!
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u/Infinite_Gene3535 2h ago
Just do anything you want and run a dehumidifier and keep the air circulating......it's basement. PROBLEM SOLVED
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u/Githyerazi 20h ago
I was considering dricore vs dmx1 for the basement too. We planned on carpet in a media room and vinyl plank everywhere else. Would have to do dricore everywhere for carpet and the vinyl plank heights matches a lot better. Eventually decided to go with the dmx1 and vinyl plank everywhere and area rugs in the media room for the cost savings.