Ok, we're replaced out old oil furnace with a nice, new, efficient natural gas burner and hot water heater. A side benefit of this job is that the natural gas furnace vents directly through the exterior wall, not through the chimney in the middle of the house.
So, in a couple of days the installer and I are finally ripping out the old burner (the new one is installed), the old oil tank, and I'm suddenly going to have maybe 150 square feet of usable space in the basement. Kegerator, TV, guitar amps, heavy bag, and there should be enough room for a couple gymnastics mats so my daughter has some space to burn off some energy.
The issue that I'm looking for advice on is dealing with the floor. It's an old slab in pretty poor shape. Lots of pockmarks and holes. Lots of ad-hoc patchwork. There's some higher parts around where the oil burner is that I'm going to have to remove. Basically, I need to get it leveled off and cleaned up.
The basement doesn't really get wet, but it's damp. There's only one section (on the opposite side of the basement) where water ever seeps in, but if you leave something on the floor for a few days you can see the moisture when you pick it up.
So, what are my options for cleaning it up? I've thought about putting down a layer of self-leveling cement to get myself a nice, smooth surface, but that stuff doesn't seem like it would hold up to any real wear and tear. I thought about doing that and then putting down a coat of epoxy paint to protect the surface, but that seems like a bad idea with the moisture. Same obviously with carpet or any kind of wood.
Any other ideas? I was pointed in the direction of Tractor Supply, some rubber surfaces that are designed for going in horse stalls. There's an interlocking system for like $400, or just buy a bunch of 4x6 rubber mats and lay them down. I'm not looking for anything particularly fancy, just a surface that's not going to rip and tear any gymnastics mats we lay down and that might have a little more "give" to it.
My brother was advocating for tearing out the whole floor and laying down a clean slab, but there's no exterior entrance into the basement and I don't want to spend all summer on this.
Any other thoughts? How to refinish the floor in a semi-damp basement?
So, in a couple of days the installer and I are finally ripping out the old burner (the new one is installed), the old oil tank, and I'm suddenly going to have maybe 150 square feet of usable space in the basement. Kegerator, TV, guitar amps, heavy bag, and there should be enough room for a couple gymnastics mats so my daughter has some space to burn off some energy.
The issue that I'm looking for advice on is dealing with the floor. It's an old slab in pretty poor shape. Lots of pockmarks and holes. Lots of ad-hoc patchwork. There's some higher parts around where the oil burner is that I'm going to have to remove. Basically, I need to get it leveled off and cleaned up.
The basement doesn't really get wet, but it's damp. There's only one section (on the opposite side of the basement) where water ever seeps in, but if you leave something on the floor for a few days you can see the moisture when you pick it up.
So, what are my options for cleaning it up? I've thought about putting down a layer of self-leveling cement to get myself a nice, smooth surface, but that stuff doesn't seem like it would hold up to any real wear and tear. I thought about doing that and then putting down a coat of epoxy paint to protect the surface, but that seems like a bad idea with the moisture. Same obviously with carpet or any kind of wood.
Any other ideas? I was pointed in the direction of Tractor Supply, some rubber surfaces that are designed for going in horse stalls. There's an interlocking system for like $400, or just buy a bunch of 4x6 rubber mats and lay them down. I'm not looking for anything particularly fancy, just a surface that's not going to rip and tear any gymnastics mats we lay down and that might have a little more "give" to it.
My brother was advocating for tearing out the whole floor and laying down a clean slab, but there's no exterior entrance into the basement and I don't want to spend all summer on this.
Any other thoughts? How to refinish the floor in a semi-damp basement?