Concrete Basement Floor Help...

[mckeansa]

Hi,

I have a house that is was built in the 50s. The concrete floor in the basement was never sealed or maintained and is now quite uneven and in some areas slightly sandy. I am looking for a way to seal/coat/treat the floor in order to make it a more useable space and reduce dust. A friend mentioned something called a self leveling floor and others have suggested sealants but i have no experience with either. A Furnace and Hot water heater are there but both on bricks and there is a sump pit but otherwise i can empty it if needed. I have been reading several sites about concrete treatments but they all seem to be referencing new slabs rather than shoring up existing construction. Any Help would be appreciated.

Also, it gets water routinely from several areas and if we have another summer like last, flooding is likely so i am thinking simply painting etc wont cut it.

Thanks,

Shawn

[bullshooter5]

Perhaps the real need is a basement sump system to relieve the future flood you seem to be banking on.
do you happen to know if you have any tile drainage system for the basement? How bout a sump? If not I think I would attack the tile system first before leveling the floor and that's a whole new subject.

rimshot

[BridgeMan45]

Once you decide on a floor treatment, make sure you follow the manufacturer's installation instructions "religiously." For most products, that means you want the prepared surface clean enough to eat off of, literally. Anything less, and you'll be wasting your money and time.

[mckeansa]

Let me clarify. I am seeking advice on the type of product to use to seal this old concrete floor. There is no tile in the basement. it is a bare concrete floor with a sump pit and associated sump pump to remove any water. However it does get puddles and small streams fairly often in summers with heavy rain. My question is aimed more at finding a product that can penetrate and seal or at least harden the existing concrete floor. Thanks for the help.