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Has Achieved Nirvana |
I'm not sure it is. The flooring itself may not be damaged. But the water underneath it would be the problem. Gotta take it up anyway.
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
A Home Depot pump will die in 5 to 8 years. A good pump will last a lot longer. Our Pentair Hydromatics are built like tanks and have gone twenty years or more, even under heavy use. We get the ones with the pressure switch that can be swapped out. The switch typically lasts 10 years or more and you can often tell that it's starting to go before it actually fails. Easy to replace. One screw unbolts the switch and you swap the new one in. Something like this:  We have a mark inside the pit that tells us where the water level is when the pump kicks on if it is operating normally. Over time as the rubber diaphragm starts to wear out, the water level rises higher before the pump goes on. Then we know it's time to replace the switch. Works for us because our laundry discharge goes into the sump, so we are there to notice subtle changes in performance... Our neighbor had a fancy schmancy Genesis pump and backup installed. Haven't seen it, don't know about reliability...
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
SK - Is the existing sump just for ground water? Any chance that it is a waste discharge pump? Where does the stuff from the bathroom go?
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity  |
WTG, this is super helpful (both of your posts). I hadn't really thought about the "types of flooring" issue, but that's a pretty big one as well. It does have a nice, consist look the way it is now. So definitely if we did change the flooring, we probably need to change all of it. All of it, or none of it, basically.
I don't know, we initially had been acting under the assumption that we weren't going to change any of the flooring, but then I kind of thought, well, if we were going to do the basement, we might as well do it when the house is empty. So that's where we started. But I will ask him that this evening as well, in addition to discussing the other things in this thread.
Good point. When we installed the flooring in his basement studio at the old house, it was that raised tile (either that you suggested, or a different kind I found based on your suggestion). It was set up so that water could "run" under it, rather than getting trapped and it was supposed to be able to evaporate without getting moldy. I think we only had one more water incident after that flooring was in place, and either Mr SK popped up one tile, or didn't, but he used a wet vac and fans and it was all dried out very quickly w/ no mold or musty smell afterward. And after that, we had all the gutters and downspouts replaced and relocated, and had the sump pump installed, and never had water after that.
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
Oops, what I meant to say in the above post was, because of our experience with those floor tiles, that was why I figured waterproof flooring would be better, but I think that maybe only applies to that specific kind of flooring.
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity |
I am 90% certain that the existing sump is only for ground water ... but wait, I'm not 100%. I'll look again when I'm there next. I'm pretty sure there's a sewer line in a different spot in the basement. This sump is covered btw, because the house has a radon mitigation system in place. Anyway, how would it change our course of action if the current sump included waste discharge?
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
OK...I was talking about a typical vinyl floor where there's a foam underlayment that is either attached to the flooring or installed separately over the concrete. Yes, the interlocking raised floor tiles do help if you have minor water intrusion. And they're nice because they are DIY-friendly for installation. In fact I'm in the process of putting in the ones I scored on a closeout from Mateflex...  I've been surprised at how much of a thermal break they provide. The floor feels much warmer underfoot. I have lots of edge pieces to cut, but spring got here and gardening took priority, so it will be a bit till I finish. But I'm still cheap and I wouldn't rip up perfectly good carpeting unless I hated it... 
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
I’m surprised that I missed the railing because usually it’s the first thing I look for. That installation is not code compliant and it’s a a hazard, IMO. I’ve installed railings in every house I’ve bought including porch railings on the front and back steps and the steps leading to the lake. It only takes one drunk… 
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
Yea, it was the first thing I noticed in that room. I was surprised because the previous owners seemed like they were on top of everything. I would definitely be installing one, but I have to admit it wouldn't be on my list of things to do before move-in. Now if I were using it as an airbnb, it would be a different story...
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
The backup pump would have to accommodate the waste. And/or you would avoid using the downstairs bath if the primary pump failed.
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
Certainly wouldn’t trust a Home Depot sump pump. My plumber recommended a Zoeller that looks beefy enough. Warranty is 5 years, projected life is 7-10 years according to the internet. That Pentair unit looks like a solid choice as well. I’ve never preferred pressure activated water level switches. Its much easier to test float switches by simply lifting them up.
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
It’s easy to tell. Flush the toilet and see if the sump pump comes on. The lake house has two sewage pumps in addition to the sump pump - one for the toilet (a very odd setup that looks it belongs in a boat), and one for the bar sink. They are each obnoxiously noisy.
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
Great choice, can't go wrong with a Zoeller. Better warranty than Pentair has these days. How easy is it to replace the float if it fails?
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
I haven’t checked but it looks like a pretty straightforward mechanical deal.
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
Havent’ read through all the replies. My studio is in a spare bedroom, which has dark carpet. I put down an extra rug (thin and dark) under my drawing/painting table to keep as much of what i do there off the carpet. I would keep your studio carpet since it’s already there, and only replace it when it no longer looks nice (or you have a water issue) - otherwise you are just putting perfectly good flooring into the landfill. And like others have said, if you have a water issue, you will likely get some insurance help. One other thing - I was told basement (cement) floors need to breath, that you don’t want to put a waterproof flooring on them - we ended up putting a tough commercial type of Berber carpet in the basement in our Washington house (my studio, and also a guest room) for that reason. It was a nuetral subtle multicolored carpet that hid most paint drips really well.
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well-temperedforum.groupee.net The Well-Tempered Forum Off Key What should we do about basement flooring?