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Bernard
07-16-2006, 08:00 AM
I am renovating my office in the basement of our 50 year old house. In the process of removing the old carpet I discovered a kind of Ten-test (?) sub-floor about 5/8 " thick and when I removed this sub floor I found that it was supported with strapping underneath because the concrete floor was sloped or graded toward a drain whole in the middle of the floor. This drain has been covered in this way for the last thirty years.....there is no apparent water evidence in the area but over the years the subfloor did sag in locations between the strapping near the centre of the floor where the drain is located. This is not the only floor drain in the basement there is one also in the Laundry-Furnace room where the sinks are located. In my office-room I want to close that newly discovered drain permanently and level the concrete floor so that I can eventually install a underpad for a carpet and a wall to wall carpet.............Please comment on the feasibility or practicality of what I am proposing to do.

I am assuming that this drain pipe is a gravity drain into the ground outside the house as is the one in the laundry room. Our area has no storm sewers just sanitary sewers and the house has no sump hole or sump pump. Basement has always been dry.....So I am thinking of blocking the drain in my office floor with that expanding polyeurothene then using concrete to cover over the drain opening so that by adding concrete into the graded portion of the floor I can make the whole floor in the room level and ready to accept the carpet underpad and the carpet........

QUESTIONS: Will this work ? Will I create other problems if I block this drain?
Any suggestions of what kind of concrete or other materials to make floor level?

I am in Toronto Mississauga so there are lots of Ronas and Home Depots in the area.

Bernard

got_nailed
07-16-2006, 08:12 AM
To close it I would get some water stop concrete. Follow it up with a few thin layers of vinyl flooring patch (I know it’s the bag with the red label at lows in the flooring department). If you use a 4 foot level to find the low spots and fill with the vinyl patch you’ll be good to go.

hj
07-16-2006, 08:38 AM
Plug the hole with concrete, and then use a "self leveling" floor underlaymet material to level the floor.

Gary Swart
07-16-2006, 03:32 PM
Armstrong makes the self-leveling underlayment material HJ speaks of and it works quite well and is cheap. Mix it in a 5 gallon bucket, pour it on, and leave it alone. In a few minutes it will have spread itself smooth and level over the floor. I use a long shaft paint mixer in a 3/8" drill to mix it.