Many residents often use concrete to create slab flooring to cover gravel or dirt floors in older homes. This upgrade will greatly reduce pest and moisture problems and create more livable square footage in your house. Below are four aspects homeowners should know before getting started pouring concrete in their basements. 

4 Factors of Basement Concrete Pouring

1. Choose a Type of Concrete

It’s essential to use fast-drying ready mix concrete for the basement slab. It will cure quickly, limiting the likelihood of high humidity that will worsen water vapor in the area and make the material take days to dry. 

Along with the drying time, it’s essential to consider aesthetics. If you plan to install flooring on top of the slab, use a regular grey mix. If the concrete is going to be the top layer, you might want to use a decorative mix with dyes to create colored flooring. You can also stamp overlays to make it look like tiles or wood planks. Most homeowners install resin over the surface to add a protective layer to the flooring and limit staining.

2. Promote Wall Support

Many homeowners appreciate that basement concrete provides support for the walls. As the material pushes against the walls from the bottom of the sides, it gives structural support to the foundation and walls. 

3. Install a Vapor Barrier 

Homeowners often install a concrete slab in the basement to minimize moisture problems. Water from the ground and the air can collect as condensation, creating wet walls and making the room inhospitable for storage and as a living space.

It’s critical to install a vapor barrier with 0.3 permeability directly over the ground before pouring the mix. This thin plastic sheeting will prevent moisture imbalances and ensure the concrete dries quickly, significantly reducing the likelihood of further water vapor problems in the basement. It will also provide the perfect background for installing tile or wood flooring.

4. Create an Entrance Point

If you have a small basement, you can bring in the mix in small loads and use an on-site mixer to ensure it reaches the right consistency. For larger residences, you may benefit from removing a basement window so that the concrete chute can bring material from the truck into the room. Talk over your options with a contractor to learn the safest bet for your home.

Homeowners interested in pouring concrete in their basements should contact Bellis Concrete Construction in Cookeville, TN, to learn about their design services. The licensed and insured local business is family-owned and has been in the industry since 1997. Call the Putnam County location at (931) 528-6240 or visit the website for information on their residential concrete for porches, driveways, pool decks, and foundations.