Basement Improvement - Concrete For An Old Basement Dirt Floor

This videos describes some of the basic ideas of how to install a concrete floor over an existing basement dirt floor.
Darren Tracy P.E. is a New York State Licensed Professional Engineer with over 30 years of contracting and applied engineering experience in the field of building construction.
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#oldbasement

[@nehnehnehbatman]

Thanks for the vid Mr.Tracy! I just went to a buddies house on thanksgiving and it has brick floor and a dirt foundation. I almost had a heart attack lol, his wall are crumbling

[@italian0stalion0]

Thanks for the video. I’m pouring 500 square feet in my basement this week

[@darrentracy7297]

Don,t forget the vapor barrier (poly).

[@devote1416]

Very informative. At todays rate, what would be the approx cost be to have this done say on a 800sq foot basement?

[@darrentracy7297]

Quite variable depending upon location, time of year, Union or non union and how fortunate you are to find a hungry contractor. Those factors apply to any project. For retail pricing (not your neighbor and his friend helping doing moonlighting work), figure 3-4 person crew for a day which would include some prep work, but not the old slab removal and grading. In my part of upstate NY, the loaded labor cost would be about $500/person/per day, so that is say $2000. Add money for contractors tools, equipment OH&P, (say another 500-$1000), so that is 2500-$3000 for labor ballpark. You might find a contractor that charges a little less or one that charges double that if they are busy. Material costs are straightforward. Concrete material. Multiply the area times the depth in feet (that would be .33 at 4”inches thick)and then divide that sum by 27 because are 27 ft.³ in one cubic yard and that will give you how many cubic yards of concrete you need. Call your local supplier and they will tell you how much they are charging for the concrete based upon how many yards and what strength concrete. I always use 4000 psi for slabs.

[@utooboobnoob]

Glad I found this! My 1983 basement is finished on one side with beds and bath. On the other side of the wall is a 600+ sq ft (7'5" tall) dirt 'crawl space". Would pouring a slab put any outward pressure on the existing slab, footers or foundation? Thank you.

[@darrentracy7297]

Not enough to be significant. I strongly suggest installing a vapor barrier below the slab.

[@gdoteof]

very helpful

[@syid]

Very Helpful! I watched it 3 times. Does the process get you to the point to add walls and ceramic flooring later? Or will the process only enable you to have a concrete floor with existing stone walls (as seen in your video)?

[@darrentracy7297]

Hi Syid, You could add ceramic directly on top of this concrete if you would like. Walls too.

[@stevew.7188]

Hi Darren, how much does something like this cost? Just a ballpark per square foot of basement?

[@darrentracy7297]

Hi Steve. As I recall, the subcontractor charged me $1500 for labor. The redimix concrete was probably around $800.

[@syid]

@@darrentracy7297 I have a dirt floor in my 1920s home. I would love to do this, but I'm afraid it could be costly. My basement area is about 2000 sq feet. What was the square foot of your quote?

[@darrentracy7297]

@@syid About 6$/SF, but the area was small. I expect your cost would be less.

[@darrentracy7297]

Less per square foot that is.

[@JohnSmith-ji7xt]

Help, I just bought an old house with a finished basement. My handy man was taking at the carpet to put in vinyl in the basement and realized that the house flipper had only put in 1/8 of inch of concrete. The carpet, which was new, was already damp. My handyman thinks the house flipper poured the concrete. I know you are not a lawyer, but the house flipper did crappy work, am I right?

[@darrentracy7297]

Something doesn’t sound right. Concrete in the basement is typically 3 1/2 to 4 inches thick. Even a thin slab, sometimes called a mud slab, is a couple inches thick. If you have to pour a new slab, the key is to install a vapor barrier underneath the slab. The vapor barrier is typically six mil. Poly and is inexpensive. It keeps moisture from wicking up through the slab.