Concrete high water table no vapor barrier Tacoma, Wa

[Matt Buckles]

Hello everyone been lurking for a while. Just purchased a foreclosure condo in Tacoma, Washington area. The cement floor underneath the carpet apparently has no vapor barrier. The HOA representative said that in a law suit all they were able to get was enough money to drain around the exterior of property. Obviously it rains a lot here and you can definitely smell the moisture smell when you first walk in. Tore up the carpet and have found some cracks as well. Obviously I need to fill the cracks prior to trying to seal the concrete.

I am wondering what your recommendations are for what to put on top of the concrete. The inspector said it had a higher gloss which would make acid etching difficult so I'm trying to decide if I should just try and seal it with some sort of paint/sealant, and then carpet. Then encourage my future tenants to run the house circulating fan 12 hours a day.

I will be living in the property for one year and then plan to hold for 10-15 years as a rental.

In a mid to high end neighborhood so I think laminate is out of the question.

Thank you in advance!

[Mark H.]

You might consider epoxy-coating the floor - etching with acid pulls the gloss & any sealer off concrete like you wouldn't believe. The epoxy can be troweled into any cracks worth plugging. I wouldn't worry too much about any crack under 3/16" - all concrete cracks.

If there are "ridges" in the concrete, or if it's wavy, concrete can be ground flat. I'd hire that out if you need it done, it makes a hell of a mess.

You might consider the epoxied concrete as a finished floor, or carpet over it. The pros can make epoxy look pretty cool.

If you wanted to tile the floor, you can get a trowel-on "membrane" called "red guard" at the depot - it'll block moisture & prevent cracks in your new tile.. I know I'm in a different climate than you, but around here, tile everywhere is all the rage- its cheap to install and lasts until its out of style - tenants can get big rugs at Costco for the bedrooms if it's too cold, and they aren't worried about getting ripped off for minor stains in carpet.

There are similar liquid glue-membranes that can be used to even glue down "real" hardwood if you want.

Lots of options.. I wouldn't resort to running the fan all the time - I don't see that working.