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Posted by Roger Shoaf on March 28, 2007, 10:56 pm
> I'm fixing up my workshop in the basement. The floor is a concrete
> slab, and I plan to cover it with vinyl/ rubber tiles. Moisture is not
> a problem.
>
> There is a gap between the slab and the cinder block walls. This gap
> is only about 1/8" wide at two of the walls, but along the long wall
> the gap widens in a few places to about 1". Along the edge of the slab
> there is insulation, some kind of Styrofoam. The top of this
> insulation has deteriorated somewhat over the years (the house is 20+
> years old), but looks reasonable. In most spots, the gap is only about
> 1/4" deep (some loose insulation chips, small "rubble" is visible),
> but for about 3-4 feet the gap is much deeper, about 1 - 1 1/2".
> Again, there is some "rubble" visible in the gap. Using a flashlight,
> I can see a space between the insulation and the foundation wall, but
> I can't see how far down this space goes, for obvious reasons.
>
> I was thinking of sealing the gap (the top section that is) before
> laying the tiles (now or never...).
> Cement is the obvious choice, but I've heard of this thing called
> "temperature" and "expansion". That's what I get for watching all
> those DIY shows. Ignorance is bliss......
>
> So, I thought about cutting a strip of thin board (1/8"), place this
> in the gap against the wall, and then fill the gap with cement,
> effectively using the board as a form. That should leave enough room
> for expansion.
> What material would work best? Vinyl concrete patcher? Some sort of
> epoxy? Ordinary cement?
>
> Thanks.
>
Perhaps you should leave the gap as it is and just place baseboard along the
walls. That way if the slab needs to move it can.
--
Roger Shoaf
If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent.
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