Moist basement floor

[Kaylad]

there is some moisture on part of my basement floor tiles. If I want to lay a carpet should I have a raised floor installed first?

[Ken]

Kaylad,

Let me first say, I'm not expert at all. I'm just a homeowner who found this board and is starting to get some good stuff out of it.

I'll share with you my experience. I live in New England, and my basement can get damp, especially with a concreate floor. I dont' know about raising the floor but I my problem was solved by buying a dehumidifier to remove the moisture. This takes care of the problem instead of building around it.

-Ken

[Hube]

Installing a carpet on an damp, or moist basement floor is an absolute NO-NO. Until you can finally be assured that no moisture is coming in (with-out using a dehumidifier)do not install carpet. If your floor is damp, its either less than a year old (new house?)no vapor barrier under the pour, or your weeping tile drains are not taking the foundation's perimeter water away. You could also try several coats of "Dryloc" on the floor if all else fails. Good luck... Hube

[LazyPup]

Installing a raised floor is also not a good idea. The moisture would still be there, trapped under the raised floor. Warm, dark, moist places are almost a guaranteed source of mold, not to mention that the materials the raised floor is made out of will decay prematurely.

[HayZee518]

If your property is built around a high water table and you have no drain tiles around your house, you could be getting seepage through the foundation or even up through the floor via cracks in the floor. My Dad rest his soul even drilled holes in the basement floor to relieve the pressure but made it worse. The city of Buffalo is predominantly all clay once you get past the topsoil level.