I have a finished basement with a floor made up of square, 8" ceramic tiles. I have a putting green placed on top of the floor that is made up of interlocking hard plastic modules, each about 2 square feet. The green in total covers about 16' by 7'. I have tried multiple things to try and create a level surface for the green to sit on, but the settling of the floor over the years has made this impossible. Since the green is modular, and the tiles settle individually AND the whole floor has probably settled over the last 6o years, there is no simple way to create a level surface. Obviously the floor is finished, so I don't want to pour concrete on top of the tiles. I am hoping someone might have a simple solution for creating a non-permanent level surface that I can rest the green on top of.
-
24 sheets of 4'x8' roofing OSB. Framework of 2x4s underneath trimmed to adjust to level(ish).– brhansFeb 17, 2021 at 2:41
-
1@brhans - OSB shouldn't touch a basement. OSB is a mold haven and will soon be black unless the basement is bone dry.– DMooreFeb 17, 2021 at 4:22
-
2You have installed an indoor putting green, presumably because you're a golfer. I've got to wonder how many outdoor putting greens you've ever been on that are perfectly level? I'd think that the undulations that your house is nicely providing for you would be a welcome addition, as it helps you learn to read the green and make putts that take advantage of the dips and rises instead of being confounded by the non-laser-flat greens in the real world. But, I haven't golfed in 20+ years, so maybe things have changed...– FreeManFeb 17, 2021 at 13:35
-
1@DMoore I guess it depends on how damp your basement is. Mine is pretty much bone-dry and I've had offcuts of OSB and other wood stored there for years with no visible mold growth.– brhansFeb 17, 2021 at 13:40
-
You basically just need to put a bunch of stuff on the floor to create a flat level surface on top of the stuff. I was thinking about options for said "stuff", with the primary criteria being dirt cheap and environmentally stable. Concrete would be perfect, but for the weight and cost. Dirt would work, it's cheap, but it's heavy and could harbor bugs. My current favorite is cedar mulch; about as cheap as dirt, won't rot, and is lightweight. You can augment it with vermiculite, perlite, Styrofoam, or other lite aggregates to lock the matrix tighter. Use a laser level and a long flat board.– dandavisFeb 17, 2021 at 15:22
1 Answer
Basement floors are not level if they are made right. Throw in larger tiles and there will definitely be some ridges. There is nothing to do to actually fix this permanently, you don't want to because the slope flows to a drain.
I would suggest that you use a trick that old carpenters used to level off subfloors for wood floors - rooftiles (asphalt shingles). The are bigger on one end and the hold well - don't slide. It will be painful to get this just right but I can't think of anything else I would use on something like this other than shingles. Also you can usually pick these up cheap - find an open bag at big box or go to a resale material store and might run you $15.
You will need some heavy duty scissors to cut them and after you get things flat... if your green is still sliding you may still need some weight on it meaning you might have to lay some plywood down first before doing the green.
-
The OP is asking about "a non-permanent level surface", but I'm reading your response as a fix for sliding. Am I misreading things? (wouldn't be the first time...)– FreeManFeb 17, 2021 at 13:38
-
-
I get the non-permanent part. Maybe I'm putting too much emphasis on "if your green is still sliding..." in the last paragraph?– FreeManFeb 17, 2021 at 16:15
-
@FreeMan - even sheets of plywood isn't permanent... PIA yes. I mean we are talking about leveling off a very large putting green over tile in a house.– DMooreFeb 17, 2021 at 16:17
-
I guess I'm just reading too much into the word "sliding" that you've got in your last paragraph. I'll trundle off now...– FreeManFeb 17, 2021 at 16:20