Basement – How to finish a basement with a pitched floor

baseboardbasement-refinishingcarpetfloorsubfloor

I am building a room in the basement where the slab has a pitch. I have already installed had a foam and magnesium board subfloor and my intention is to have a carpet installed on top of that. The room is about 17 x 10 and the pitch is on the 17 foot length. It is roughly 2 to 2.5 inches lower on one side that the other end.

I didn't "fix" the pitch on purpose because it is there to allow any water leaks to flow towards the drain.

So what are my options when I finish the walls and install a basement and a carpet in this room. Will I need to live with the slopping floor (which I guess will be most pronounced in the baseboard) or is there a trick to fix this where it is unnoticeable? Is there a "carpet padding shim"?

Best Answer

I would stop and make your floor level before you proceed.

Home Depot/Lowes/etc stores in my area sell 2'x2' subfloor 'tiles' that is basically tongue & groove OSB with dimpled foundation membrane on the bottom side. However, you can do this yourself using the foundation membrane and sheets of plywood or OSB. The flooring looks like this:

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As I see it, you have two choices:

  1. Leave your subfloor as is, but install sleepers and plywood or OSB on top (will reduce ceiling height a bit).
  2. Rip out the subfloor, and install something like the dimpled foundation membrane, then the sleepers and the plywood or OSB. This is better, in my opinion, because it would allow any water to run downhill instead of being trapped through capillary action.
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