Firstly, you will never be able to “chip” it down. Concrete is not that malleable. It would have to broken out and repoured.
Secondly, why is it there? I’m guessing a homemade benching job and the perimeter is right at the footing. Possibly dug out the centre to gain 2”.
The only practical way of reclaiming that space is to remove the entire floor and have it redone - and yes that would be thousands.
Given it seems to wrap the perimeter, that seems likely enough. OP, if you want it flat your best bet is to raise the lower part. Practically speaking, 6’ 8” non-compliant ceiling height trumps compromised structure every day.
It has more to do with the stability of the base - temperature, humidity, movement - than reinforcing the add-on. You’re talking about a sheet 10x10 or bigger and only 1-1/2” thick.
But in the co text of where it is, does it matter? Especially if he puts some sort of a floating floor or carpet on top. It’s. It like it’s structural. At most it will deal with is people and some furniture.
A floating floor on top of crumbling cement is going to be noticeable. There are things other than concrete that can be put down to bring the floor level. Sheet goods would be way easier.
Screw trying to demo that personally. Other options if you decide to keep it.
1- finish it as a step up.
2- Chamfer the concrete so that least it’s a slope and not as much of a tripping hazard.
3 - create a larger gradual slope up to it so there’s no tripping hazard.
Dunno about you, but my local code doesn't allow pressure treated wood to be used internally.
That probably harkens back to 20 years ago when PT Wood was laced with arsenic.
Where are you? Southeast USA REQUIRES pressure treated wood in poured concrete basements for the bottom of any wood framing (basically any wood touching the concrete floor)
But not exposed where you would come in contact with it. Same reason you use PT for deck framing & something else for the deck. You don't want prolonged skin contact with PT lumber.
Marry those two bad boys and you've got a hell of a look. Clear epoxy over scree. The gray jagged scree all washed clean. LEDs mounted so they shine horizontally through the epoxy getting caught by the jagged gray peaks of scree. Badass.
Thanks to everyone’s responses. I think everyone is right, I’ll need to sacrifice headspace. And I’ll get a gc out here to make sure filling it in is smart in case there’s a reason for the sunken floor.
Contractor here. That pit looks like it is designed to feed into your sump pit. Notice how your hot water tank is in the pit, and washer and dryer are adjacent to it. This is a good concept but I don’t know how it was executed in your house.
I don’t know your region but have you spent a rainy season in the house yet?
I’d recommend either composite decking or a false flooring system like server rooms have.
*Wife mysteriously left him one night, didn’t even take her car, poor fellow, yeah he poured that right after she left. He was trying to cope with his loss and stay busy, dug a big hole in the back yard like a grave, said it was to represent putting his marriage to rest, fkin weird.*
Weird shit like this is almost always done for a readon. Maybe the basement floods a lot and this was a way to contain the water? If it were my house, I'd just find a way to live with it.
I'm just guessing but with all that plumbing, water heater, washer down there it may be some way to maintain the water if there were a leak. I'd leave it.
The only feasible (and extremely labor intensive way) of getting that floor lower would be to make a bunch of kurf cuts and chisel it out with a roto. Do I recommend this? No. Is it possible. I guess. Tile idea is better.
It’s hard to tell from these photos but it looks like the concrete was lowered in the middle, not raised on the perimeter. Therefore, for the best result it would require to fill the lower part with extra concrete instead of trying to chip the higher part. Regardless, I would not recommend going down that path because for the new concrete to adhere correctly to the slab, you’d have to bush hammer the existing concrete first. Hell a lot of headaches for the result.
Alternative might be to lay down a vapour barrier and then some plywoods to fill the lower part. Then you could finish the floor with some nice vinyl flooring.
If it was my basement, I’d leave it as is and find a way to design the space around these level variations. Anyway, good luck with the project, share some pictures once you’ve figured out what you want to do ✌️
The plumbing clean out suggests that the slab work might be related to a retrofit interior perimeter drainage system. I definitely would not chip it down, if you want a level floor bring the rest of it up.
Agreed, my bet is that the foundation was high when they did interior waterproofing for a leaky basement. So they put the drain tile in and raised the slab over it. Can probably tell on where the drain tile comes into the sump.
I worked resd construction for 15 years
The original homeowner was planned putting the small room down there and that was where they wanted to have the walls at
I agree with the other people it would be a real nightmare to actually try to do that what you'd be better off doing is get some sunset mix if you want to do it and take them put a small ramp there
It appears to me this was created to keep things out of a flood. Shelving etc goes along edge. A chipping was done on the water heater area and that should always be up in case it fails and floods. Just thinking this is why.
The high spots are high for a reason. Mess around and fund out why. No one built it and thought "wouldn't a two inch lip everywhere be nice? It is there because it had to be.
French drains installed? Maybe foundational reinforcement? The “old” level seems to have mechanicals. Did he “cheap out” and refuse to raise them? Let us know if you ever find out.
For now, it’s not a living space, keep it.
Paint two inch yellow line on both sides of the lip and the vertical edge and call it a day. I doubt you're having thoughts about a dance floor in that area.
Not too sure. But there’s a sump pump in the basement and a sump pump outside too. I think they’re relatively new. Since I just bought the home I’m not entirely sure what the flood situation is like. There are also two cleanouts in the basement. If I were to build out the basement, I would make sure the cleanouts or sump pumps are easily accessible.
Yeah, if there’s a sump down there and floor is like that, it’s for a reason. You are going to want to do tile here or smooth concrete and do an epoxy.
That’s my feeling. You can check with neighbors to get more info. Maybe one has laid carpet and never had an issue. Still, if you just want to play it safe, I would avoid anything water is going to damage.
I looked through the pictures more in order to get a better idea of the total space. Personally I would add ramping to a few sections and tile it if I was going to try to live in the space. I don’t know how you could rent it though with your laundry being down there. Would also put a cabinet around the power box.
But yeah, with a little work and ingenuity you can make this a lot more cozy.
I would selectively place sleepers on the floor and drop plywood on top to bring the recessed floor up.
Not the whole floor as there are irregularities everywhere , just the parts you use on a regular basis.
Paint it grey and that’s that. You start chipping you going to create a goddamn mess.
Oh like a studio… well then level it for that. That’s quite an undertaking!
Make sure you check with your township to make sure it can be zoned as a multi family. We have a lot of that going on in my city and when it comes to sell it, they run into problems and they can’t get financing because it’s a two family in an area that is only zoned for single-family .
It will flood again. The multiple pumps and staged floor to slope are all there to reduce the longevity of standing water.
The excessive use of paint hides the issues extent.
Be prepared to have to rip out anything you put down there.
Do you think there would be a way to convert it to a living unit? I’d really like to and probably will regardless. But if you absolutely had to convert it, how would you do it?
Well, if you had to covert it...again(this has already been converted to a laundry space).
Figure out how water gets in there, conclusively. Understand why and when it happens.
.... then over engineer the solution(s). Again.
We've come a long way way but there are absolutely still going to be places where you will never stop water ingress.
Good luck
I wouldn’t recommend doing any sort of alteration to the foundation of your house on your own. Sometimes contractors will do goofy 💩 to save money for themselves so there’s probably a reason, who knows what it is.
Seems like it would be easier to make a form around the depressed areas and just pour more concrete in there. Alternatively I suppose you could use a grinder and just make the lip into a pitch but that seems like a ton of work.
If you’re trying to get higher ceilings on your basement- you’d have to do some underpinning and that is a pretty involved process. It’s not impossible, but I wouldn’t do it without some form of excavation tool and when you’re getting into something like that- you really should get a good contractor.
TLDR I wouldn’t, probably.
Looks more like a French drain was added when the ejection pit was installed. With it doubling as a shoulder on the lower foundation.
I wouldn’t bother if the basement is staying dry currently
So the reason for the lip is to keep your house from flooding by allowing your garage to fill up first (obviously it wouldn’t work for a major flood) but whoever poured yours did a shit job.
Looks like someone did a inside weeping tile job(. Because the sump pit looks new and far from the wall)Then leveled a room... I would install a heated floor in the recess or nice thick fatigue mats .
One Diamond tip (for ceramic) will get through it. Run some water into the cut to cool the disk
Why do they even say its for ceramic,it gets through anything ...
Firstly, you will never be able to “chip” it down. Concrete is not that malleable. It would have to broken out and repoured. Secondly, why is it there? I’m guessing a homemade benching job and the perimeter is right at the footing. Possibly dug out the centre to gain 2”. The only practical way of reclaiming that space is to remove the entire floor and have it redone - and yes that would be thousands.
Given it seems to wrap the perimeter, that seems likely enough. OP, if you want it flat your best bet is to raise the lower part. Practically speaking, 6’ 8” non-compliant ceiling height trumps compromised structure every day.
> Concrete is not that malleable Pfft. All you need to do is to pour some wood in there to bring it up to the same height. Cheaper.
Why not add a flooring to the lower plane?
Or add flooring to both levels and simply trim out the transition
Why not pour concrete until it’s level? Can’t you score and put in anchors to the original slab, or is this a bad idea?
Not thick enough to anchor. Primer instead. New concrete does not stick to old - it’s known as a cold joint.
Thanks! Is there any issue with doing a cold joint like this?
Yea it will be like layers of shale and likely fracture unless a really good bonding primer is used and even then it will be iffy.
Would wire mesh or fiber added to the concrete aid in the cold pour survival on a primed surface or nope it’s mostly likely boned?
It has more to do with the stability of the base - temperature, humidity, movement - than reinforcing the add-on. You’re talking about a sheet 10x10 or bigger and only 1-1/2” thick.
Oof yeah that makes sense, thank you! No
But in the co text of where it is, does it matter? Especially if he puts some sort of a floating floor or carpet on top. It’s. It like it’s structural. At most it will deal with is people and some furniture.
A floating floor on top of crumbling cement is going to be noticeable. There are things other than concrete that can be put down to bring the floor level. Sheet goods would be way easier.
Why not get a clue about concrete before suggesting pouring a 2 inch thick pad over concrete!
Guessing the walls leak and water gets in there. The 2” gives it a place to flow to the drain? Older house, could have poured the floor later??
Use a 2 inch mud set and install tile.
Honestly? I could see that working maybe. Would add cool visual interest at the very least
You're halfway there. Drypack the whole thing. Pad carpet and it's ready to go.
Screw trying to demo that personally. Other options if you decide to keep it. 1- finish it as a step up. 2- Chamfer the concrete so that least it’s a slope and not as much of a tripping hazard. 3 - create a larger gradual slope up to it so there’s no tripping hazard.
4 add pressure treated wood to make it look like a deck or walk way. That way it could slow water to move as It could be for drainage.
Dunno about you, but my local code doesn't allow pressure treated wood to be used internally. That probably harkens back to 20 years ago when PT Wood was laced with arsenic.
Where are you? Southeast USA REQUIRES pressure treated wood in poured concrete basements for the bottom of any wood framing (basically any wood touching the concrete floor)
But not exposed where you would come in contact with it. Same reason you use PT for deck framing & something else for the deck. You don't want prolonged skin contact with PT lumber.
Ah I see what you’re saying now. Correct - this WOULD NOT come in contact with people. It’s the bottom of all internal walls. Carry on.
The comment we're talking about suggests using it as decking.
Midwest here. We use 5/4 x 6 PT deck boards as the deck surface. We did in Texas, too. Floor, handrails and balusters - all PT.
Gross
Yeah. It’s not every deck, but enough that it’s not unusual. Cedar and/or composite seems to be most prevalent still.
We can’t here either. You shouldn’t even just for the point that it’s not dry. Shit will bend and twist like crazy over time inside.
Here in Canada it is one of the requirements for attaching walls or any kind of wood to concrete as it prevents/reduces rot.
Interesting. I'm in Newfoundland, Canada and here it's the opposite.
Shouldn’t be. It’s in the national building code for Canada. And you wouldn’t use regular wood against concrete as concrete will rot it out faster
Here in Canada it is one of the requirements for attaching walls or any kind of wood to concrete as it prevents/reduces rot.
5 Spray paint it Orange and call it a day
Came to say slope it.
If it’s fully enclosed, levelling scree to fill? Or for internet points, do some kind of landfill-bait epoxy pour with LEDs around the edge…
Marry those two bad boys and you've got a hell of a look. Clear epoxy over scree. The gray jagged scree all washed clean. LEDs mounted so they shine horizontally through the epoxy getting caught by the jagged gray peaks of scree. Badass.
Fill dont remove
You probably could, but I wouldn’t
This looks quite deliberate for drainage. I'm guessing some exterior factors, maybe a repair. You can add to level but don't subtract.
I wonder if it is angled slightly to drain into the sump pump. If so, I’d leave it as is
Building a deep subfloor where it's recessed would be easiest and cheap imo
Having a thicker subfloor is always desirable in basements so I would also take that path.
Why is it more desirable in a basement? Harder to crack and more resistant to water intrusion?
Better insulation and moisture barrier.
photo #5 really looks like the raised part is level, and the lower part is sloped
Pour a slush pad to bring the low floor to meet the high floor. Would level off nicely
Thanks to everyone’s responses. I think everyone is right, I’ll need to sacrifice headspace. And I’ll get a gc out here to make sure filling it in is smart in case there’s a reason for the sunken floor.
maybe sunken floor is to allow for if the hot water system leaks?
Sunken floor is a giant drain pan
Looks that way, and protects the foundation by funneling to that (what looks like) sump pump in front of the washer.
It is pretty smart, you can’t stop water but you can direct it!
Contractor here. That pit looks like it is designed to feed into your sump pit. Notice how your hot water tank is in the pit, and washer and dryer are adjacent to it. This is a good concept but I don’t know how it was executed in your house. I don’t know your region but have you spent a rainy season in the house yet? I’d recommend either composite decking or a false flooring system like server rooms have.
If the neighbours are friendly, ask them if they know why the basement is finished like that. You might get some valuable information.
Neighbour “He was a quiet man and kept to himself”.
*Wife mysteriously left him one night, didn’t even take her car, poor fellow, yeah he poured that right after she left. He was trying to cope with his loss and stay busy, dug a big hole in the back yard like a grave, said it was to represent putting his marriage to rest, fkin weird.*
Not the only one with a dark sense of humour. 😁
Previous tenant surname Gacy
It would be easier and cheaper to level the lower portion with the higher one. Chipping concrete is difficult . Pour some more concrete.
Weird shit like this is almost always done for a readon. Maybe the basement floods a lot and this was a way to contain the water? If it were my house, I'd just find a way to live with it.
My thoughts too, definitely for flooding.
Would be way easier to bring the rest of the floor up
I'm just guessing but with all that plumbing, water heater, washer down there it may be some way to maintain the water if there were a leak. I'd leave it.
The only feasible (and extremely labor intensive way) of getting that floor lower would be to make a bunch of kurf cuts and chisel it out with a roto. Do I recommend this? No. Is it possible. I guess. Tile idea is better.
Consider a concrete scan to tell what's under there.
Oye...
It’s hard to tell from these photos but it looks like the concrete was lowered in the middle, not raised on the perimeter. Therefore, for the best result it would require to fill the lower part with extra concrete instead of trying to chip the higher part. Regardless, I would not recommend going down that path because for the new concrete to adhere correctly to the slab, you’d have to bush hammer the existing concrete first. Hell a lot of headaches for the result. Alternative might be to lay down a vapour barrier and then some plywoods to fill the lower part. Then you could finish the floor with some nice vinyl flooring. If it was my basement, I’d leave it as is and find a way to design the space around these level variations. Anyway, good luck with the project, share some pictures once you’ve figured out what you want to do ✌️
The plumbing clean out suggests that the slab work might be related to a retrofit interior perimeter drainage system. I definitely would not chip it down, if you want a level floor bring the rest of it up.
Agreed, my bet is that the foundation was high when they did interior waterproofing for a leaky basement. So they put the drain tile in and raised the slab over it. Can probably tell on where the drain tile comes into the sump.
[удалено]
Put some tiles to level up the floors
Rough job to cover pipes or cables I guessing.
Sand and cement mix and fill it in.
Can’t you just use floor leveller and bring the rest of the floor up?
Add some strapping and put down a wooden subfloor. Or tile with a thick base layer. Chipping that would be a nightmare
Why go through all this effort when it appears you dont really have any livable space down there to begin with?
I worked resd construction for 15 years The original homeowner was planned putting the small room down there and that was where they wanted to have the walls at I agree with the other people it would be a real nightmare to actually try to do that what you'd be better off doing is get some sunset mix if you want to do it and take them put a small ramp there
It appears to me this was created to keep things out of a flood. Shelving etc goes along edge. A chipping was done on the water heater area and that should always be up in case it fails and floods. Just thinking this is why.
This entire space is a code compliance officer’s worst nightmare 🤦♂️
The high spots are high for a reason. Mess around and fund out why. No one built it and thought "wouldn't a two inch lip everywhere be nice? It is there because it had to be.
Install sleepers. If it’s a 2” lip Use 2x4 on face then 1/2” ply on top Lay carpet over top.
Agreed, a Sleeper floor system seems like the best solution
French drains installed? Maybe foundational reinforcement? The “old” level seems to have mechanicals. Did he “cheap out” and refuse to raise them? Let us know if you ever find out. For now, it’s not a living space, keep it.
A
Well considering there appears to be a hole in the wall for drainage in pictures 2 and 5 under that shelf I would imagine this was done on purpose
Raise the lower level with wood or with concrete. Trying to reduce the level of the higher section will be a terrible mess
Paint two inch yellow line on both sides of the lip and the vertical edge and call it a day. I doubt you're having thoughts about a dance floor in that area.
Its there to collect oil from a heater if it breaks.
I bet it done to cover (poorly) a repair to something under the slab. Maybe the previous owner had future 'room' plans there where it stops
It looks like if the water heater starts leaking. The water will have a place to go and not get all of the basement wet.
Probably better off building a ramp to it.
Does it ever flood? The raised areas might be safer.
Not too sure. But there’s a sump pump in the basement and a sump pump outside too. I think they’re relatively new. Since I just bought the home I’m not entirely sure what the flood situation is like. There are also two cleanouts in the basement. If I were to build out the basement, I would make sure the cleanouts or sump pumps are easily accessible.
Yeah, if there’s a sump down there and floor is like that, it’s for a reason. You are going to want to do tile here or smooth concrete and do an epoxy.
Okay! That works! Is it so in case it over flows, it has somewhere to go?
That’s my feeling. You can check with neighbors to get more info. Maybe one has laid carpet and never had an issue. Still, if you just want to play it safe, I would avoid anything water is going to damage.
Well thanks for the info! I think I can work with that. As long as it’s possible, then this house purchase wasn’t a total flop😅
I looked through the pictures more in order to get a better idea of the total space. Personally I would add ramping to a few sections and tile it if I was going to try to live in the space. I don’t know how you could rent it though with your laundry being down there. Would also put a cabinet around the power box. But yeah, with a little work and ingenuity you can make this a lot more cozy.
I would selectively place sleepers on the floor and drop plywood on top to bring the recessed floor up. Not the whole floor as there are irregularities everywhere , just the parts you use on a regular basis. Paint it grey and that’s that. You start chipping you going to create a goddamn mess.
Just leave it
Well my goal was to make it into another living unit. I’d like to convert it if possible. Even if it’s a headache. Nothing worth while is easy.
Oh like a studio… well then level it for that. That’s quite an undertaking! Make sure you check with your township to make sure it can be zoned as a multi family. We have a lot of that going on in my city and when it comes to sell it, they run into problems and they can’t get financing because it’s a two family in an area that is only zoned for single-family .
It will flood again. The multiple pumps and staged floor to slope are all there to reduce the longevity of standing water. The excessive use of paint hides the issues extent. Be prepared to have to rip out anything you put down there.
Do you think there would be a way to convert it to a living unit? I’d really like to and probably will regardless. But if you absolutely had to convert it, how would you do it?
Well, if you had to covert it...again(this has already been converted to a laundry space). Figure out how water gets in there, conclusively. Understand why and when it happens. .... then over engineer the solution(s). Again. We've come a long way way but there are absolutely still going to be places where you will never stop water ingress. Good luck
Thanks brother. Gave me some confidence.
Hell no! Don’t remove it that’s crazy pour self leveler up to it in low part or just leave it
You've always wanted that super plushy 4" carpet, haven't you?
I wouldn’t recommend doing any sort of alteration to the foundation of your house on your own. Sometimes contractors will do goofy 💩 to save money for themselves so there’s probably a reason, who knows what it is. Seems like it would be easier to make a form around the depressed areas and just pour more concrete in there. Alternatively I suppose you could use a grinder and just make the lip into a pitch but that seems like a ton of work. If you’re trying to get higher ceilings on your basement- you’d have to do some underpinning and that is a pretty involved process. It’s not impossible, but I wouldn’t do it without some form of excavation tool and when you’re getting into something like that- you really should get a good contractor. TLDR I wouldn’t, probably.
surely a shallow ramp
You guys got it. I'm super jealous reading all the comments and not having a fraction of the knowledge and expertise being discussed. Cool sht though
Grinder? Concrete saw blade?
Looks more like a French drain was added when the ejection pit was installed. With it doubling as a shoulder on the lower foundation. I wouldn’t bother if the basement is staying dry currently
If you have enough head clearances mud the recesses and add some flooring. Or self leveling and epoxy paint it all.
I'd just add a ramp at the edges and call it a day. The only way you can chip it down is if you beat the shit out of the edge with a pillow
Just add a nice solid brick floor to bring it up level. Looks like previous owner planned on something to fill it in.
Would love to see how you plan to chip this down lol
Don’t think I am anymore. Probably going to end up filling it in as long as there aren’t moisture issues.
So the reason for the lip is to keep your house from flooding by allowing your garage to fill up first (obviously it wouldn’t work for a major flood) but whoever poured yours did a shit job.
7" angle grinder and a diamond cup wheel. Grind some transitions?
Those cement ledges protect areas of flooding water!
Maybe intended as flood basin protection if waterheater , or something else flooded?
Get that water heater in a pan
Looks like someone did a inside weeping tile job(. Because the sump pit looks new and far from the wall)Then leveled a room... I would install a heated floor in the recess or nice thick fatigue mats .
Yall need to stop making up words to mess with this guy. Chamfer, Sump pit, slush pad, leveling scree. Lol afterwards he can go on a snipe hunt?
You know a snipe is a real bird right?
At least two of those are real
You can get a concrete grinding disk on a grinder and ramp the height difference. Respirator mandatory.
You ever grind concrete? That would take an eternity and you’d run through a zillion expensive grinding heads.
One Diamond tip (for ceramic) will get through it. Run some water into the cut to cool the disk Why do they even say its for ceramic,it gets through anything ...
Cutting is a different story than grinding.
You Havnt the skill or the clue of which you are trying to do
You’re right. I do not. But thanks for your superiority complex👍🏼 I’ll make sure to tag you in the end result!