Home Owner Tips

[Halton Home Inspector]

One of the first things I would do if taking possession of new new home would be to paint the basement floor. Some people may suggest you wait a year but that's not necessary because there is virtually never warranty issues with regards to basement floors that could be voided by painting the basement floor.

Painting the floor will cut dust down to zero and it's easy to do.

No need for old style oil based grey coloured floor paint. Behr makes a great Low lustre Porch and Patio Floor Paint that is latex based and is available in some very nice colours like beige and pastel greens.This 100% acrylic latex and mildew resistant paint is available in two sheens, Low-Lustre and Gloss but IMO the Low-Lustre finish is by far the best choice for a basement floor.

NOTE - Despite the name of this paint I would never suggest anyone paint an exterior porch or patio unless you plan to repaint every couple years.

No need to chemically etch your basement floor. Just sweep it well with a broom, vacuum and paint.

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/behr...t-low-l/959674

[TheGrudge]

Originally Posted by Halton Home Inspector

One of the first things I would do if taking possession of new new home would be to paint the basement floor. Some people may suggest you wait a year but that's not necessary because there is virtually never warranty issues with regards to basement floors that could be voided by painting the basement floor.

Painting the floor will cut dust down to zero and it's easy to do.

No need for old style oil based grey coloured floor paint. Behr makes a great Low lustre Porch and Patio Floor Paint that is latex based and is available in some very nice colours like beige and pastel greens.This 100% acrylic latex and mildew resistant paint is available in two sheens, Low-Lustre and Gloss but IMO the Low-Lustre finish is by far the best choice for a basement floor.

NOTE - Despite the name of this paint I would never suggest anyone paint an exterior porch or patio unless you plan to repaint every couple years.

No need to chemically etch your basement floor. Just sweep it well with a broom and vacuum and paint.

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/behr...t-low-l/959674

I would recommend the same for a garage floor, only using epoxy. We epoxy'd our floor about 10 months after moving in and it cut down the dust immensely. It also looks fantastic.

[Halton Home Inspector]

If you are going to put hardwood down in your new home then it's a good idea to screw the subfloor down first whether it currently squeaks or not. Why ? Because builders often do not put in enough screws or use nails to do the job, plus over time the structure dries and can cause more squeaks.

1 1/2 to 2 inch deck screws will work just fine. Make sure you hit the joists. Longer screws and missing the joists can lead to screws hitting plumbing pipes and electrical wires.

If you find that the builder has used nails to hold the subfloor down, then put a screw beside each nail. This will help prevent squeaks because it's the subfloor rubbing on the nails that causes the squeaks.

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