Thanks for the food wishes, Connecticut. Mrs S - you’re right that a lot needs to be fixed first. The contractor has moved remarkable fast, considering the rain was just two days ago. They pulled off the drywall, and it’s apparent that the window failed. But it’s not clear yet if it also came through the foundation cracks. If so, they said they would need to dig up the soil in the front of the house and apply (tar?) to waterproof from the outside, before installing new drywall. **** Millworkman and Joseph Corlett******* Does that sound about right to you? I know you can’t really advise without more details, but the idea of tarring the outside of the foundation - does that keep water out? We probably also need to install drainage tile to direct the water away from the house?

" but the idea of tarring the outside of the foundation - does that keep water out? "

Realistically you are not effectively waterproofing from the inside, no matter how good they claim DryLoc is, lol. That's what they did for years, now todays new const or new foundation inspection codes require a more specialized waterproofing and for the most part the tar (Black Magic or similar foundation coating) works, HOWEVER it works best when used in conjunction with good gutters, downspout extenders and most importantly the grade properly pitched away from the house.

Water damage is rarely inexpensive, and simple to figure out. Thats one of the reasons, many here have suggested you contact a remediation company. They know the whys and whats to do to keep the mold away, and protect the health of your family. Water damage isnt anything to mess with.

Thanks, millworkman. That sounds like their plan. They’re fixing the top gutters so they actually catch the water rolling off the roof, and sealing off the ends of the downpipes (squirrels have been stuffing them full of leaves; I’m actually not really sure why, because they’re so dense with leaves at the bottom that they can’t climb back up…maybe this means they’re access it from the top, indicating that my gutter covers aren’t keeping them out?).

Oh, I should mention - the house is 100 years old, so that foundation is really really old. Not sure if that calls for any special consideration when addressing water infiltration.
I’ll be meeting with the carpet/LVP people tomorrow late morning, so if you can, please check back and help me pick out the floor!

How is the grade overall around the house? I would put some leader pipe extension hoses at the ground level. The object is to get the water that ends up on the ground as far away from the house as quickly as possible.

Here are some inspiration photos. I think I’d like the basement to have a serene spa feeling. The last photo is of my actual sauna. I think it’s beautiful, probably because it’s actual wood and wood is always beautiful. I don’t know that I can use actual wood in the rest of the basement; but I like the feel of this

Here is the view down the basement stairs, which exits to a small “foyer” leading to the sink/toilet/shower right outside the sauna, and connects to the exercise room (very small and super low ceiling soffits). We are considering turning the entire basement into a serene spa/gym, instead of having the tv area as a living room. Perhaps move the treadmill out to the current tv area so there’s more head room. So it might look best to have one unified flooring throughout, rather than carpet on part of it. Lighting must also be upgraded, as it is really minimal right now.

Here are samples for 2 different ideas. First, is to light color carpet everywhere, or at least down the stairs, foyer and tv room.

What’s the wear rating on woven vs stamped?

IMO carpet on stairs sounds like best idea - not as slippery as solid surface. Maybe carpet stairs, landing & 2 steps down for continuity & best view of flooring from top of stairs.

Thanks, KW. So carpet from the orange line all the way up the stairs? I don’t see a wear rating, it the are both warranties for 10 years. But good point, I will ask the flooring store. They both appear to be the same thickness. The woven costs more, because it’s woven, and feels more like real tatami (stamped is more smooth feeling). Here’s a closer view of the stamped sample board, and individual piece of woven. Visually very similar

@Little Bird I’m unfamiliar with Tatami flooring so looked it up. Pretty neat & seems like a great product & style for your space with spa, exercise rooms. It is 20 ml wear layer & 5 mm thick which is good. Even better is antimicrobial & even better / best is flooring is 100% recyclable & made with 25% recycled materials. I like the effect of the parquet style install with the 18” x 36” panels - creates an interesting floor pattern much better than any carpet can. Sounds like it’s a good product where moisture might be an issue. I scanned a brochure on line to pick up the basics. It’d be nice to see some reviews on it as I didn’t see how long this product has been in use.

Oh little Bird. This is soooo upsetting. I am really glad you have “remediation” company coming to help.

You might want to look at Flor. They have great “carpet” tiles on many colors, patterns, sizes and looks. They are very easy to install and we have used them in one house and when we moved simple pulled them up and moved to new home. Great company. Probably have some Memorial Day sales going on too. I will post a link for you.

BUT, you might have water and mold development under those tiles so get that checked out. Bbl

Here is link. I would prefer these carpet tiles over the Tatami mats but up to you. Just thought this is great option for you. Especially in a basement!

https://www.flor.com/sale/unreal-deals/on-the-square---wheat/21-1565-03.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw9cCyBhBzEiwAJTUWNaNQhNA3CPAVj3lIbitosGvdWshJ8g7yIQo5g5BzmWKKAqzznEHAHxoCcOgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Thanks for looking up the Tatami flooring, KW. I had never seen it before either. But when I told the store rep that I wanted a spa feeling, that’s the product she thought of right away. Let me know if you find any other info about longevity - that would really be super annoying if it gets worn down and needs replacing in 10 years. If it’s not yet time-tested, perhaps it makes more sense to only use it in the current exercise room and the area leading up to the sauna.

@Little Bird - That 10 years is a warranty thing not the expected lifetime of product. I can’t find info on how long it’s been used for flooring - only finding info on long history of the woven mats being used in Japanese homes so long ago.

I know nothing about water issues only what I experienced recently & my house is on a foundation (as opposed to cement slab so a crawl space between soil & bottom of subfloor) with a wood subfloor which absorbed the water dripping out of the exposed pipe inside the furnace closet. The subfloor soaked up the water under the plank flooring then the bottom of plank flooring started absorbing the water. The plank flooring had the pad attached to each plank - not a big pad with flooring floating on top as we have now with the cork pad & separate flooring. Some of the wet subfloor was reading 95% moisture @ 3’ away from water’s point of entry. 12% is the max it should be for subfloor. You have a basement with cement floor touching soil. Sounds like your water came in over the window wells & through the windows - so down the walls & onto floor surface. Did moisture go through tile to cement underneath? Ask contractor if they’ve worked with your kinds of situation - have they measured with moisture readers? Do they have giant humidity fans running to dry out the walls & floor? Maybe not needed in your situation? Your contractor should be able to explain all this even if they aren’t remediation experts who specialize in repair of water, smoke & fire damage. The length of time before water damage found matters too & yours was dealt with quickly.

Wishing you the best Little Bird. It will all work out in the end but it is a frustrating journey. Insurance is a mixed bag for sure. Can’t live without it but difficult when you need it. Keep us posted. Water “seeks its own level” which means it will travel as gravity and surfaces allow even under tiles that might not be sealed tight to subfloor. So make sure that is checked out. It takes time and patience.

You said above the contractors were some you had hired to do some remodeling. That is not remediation contractors. Please type water remediation into google, and read about it. The crew you have there may be good contractors, but, they are not water and mold remediation. They most likely do not even have the right type of equipment to deal with it all. Yes, I also think its possible, that there is water under the tile, and if it isnt dealt with, there will also be mold. I also think,it will happen again, until you get the right people and the right equipment to deal with it all. You can put carpet, or anything else on the floor, but, if the problem isnt solved, you will be tearing it all out again, before very long.

One more thing to test for is material of your tile. If that is older than say 1950’s it might have asbestos so extra remediation is needed to remove it. Sorry, but you need knowledge to avoid further issues. 🧐

Ugh, this is all just so much! I believe they will be bringing remediation people next week. The problem is this holiday weekend - everyone disappeared for vacation. So Tuesday is the earliest we can find anything out. Thanks everyone, for helping me figure this out

Well, fix a nice meal, and enjoy your long weekend, and stop worrying about what will happen next week. Dont go looking at carpet, or picking out anything, until you know if you will need it. Take it easy. Shut the basement door if you have one, and dont even go down there, until after these holidays are over. Give yourself a chance to get some good rest.

I would go buy a dehumidifier from Lowe’s and get it going. It will help quite a bit. You will be amazed at how much water it will pull out. Only costs around $200. Might get Memorial Day deal. It’s so humid here, we are running ours just to get more comfortable. The dew point is really a problem here right now. Plus the windows in this house are not great. I don’t mean to upset you further, but solid information can be of great interim and long term benefit.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/EdenDirect-70-Pint-3-Speed-Dehumidifier-ENERGY-STAR-For-Rooms-3001-sq-ft/5014933837

Thanks, Flo. I did get a de humidifier, and we connected a hose that empties directly into a drainage hole in the floor so we don’t have to keep emptying the tank. When I first turned it on, it said 50% humidity, and now it says 40%. That’s promising, if the humidity gauge actually works. Not sure those things are accurate, because I have humidity indicators on my temperature adjusters, one in the living room, and one in the family room not too far away, and they always say different levels.

On the bright side, I don’t think asbestos will be an issue, because this tile is definitely not from before 1950. It was laid at the same time as the rest of the floor, which likely happened when a previous lender did a major remodel in 1995. That tile pattern looks similar to what they did in the kitchen during the 1995 remodel.

But lender, I mean previous owner. Autocorrect 🙄

Yes accuracy is somewhat questionable but at least it’s headed in the right direction. That is all you can do for now. Humidity will differ from one space to another so that’s not unusual unless it wildly different. Praying you get everything resolved as soon as possible!

" Mold going UNDER the tile after a flood? We removed the wet carpet within 36 hours of the rain. "

Yeah, have heard of it for sure. None of that is waterproof. And as cat mentioned above, you need to concentrate on getting the basement dry and this fixed so this doesn't happen again rather than picking out the next flooring to get ruined.

@Little Bird Is the repair work continuing ok? Checking in on you…..

Hi KW. Thanks for checking on me. The contractor came today to walk us through the repairs. He has a flood specialist coming next week to finalize exactly what needs to be done to the gutters, drain tile, window well, windows, foundation and tile. It’s a lot to manage!
While they get to work, I’m hoping the powder room can get the tile floor installed and walls prepped, so the artist can start painting the mural!

That is good progress and I hope you’re reassured with a better understanding of the repair work needed. It might be really hectic with 2 major reno projects running simultaneously but the powder room project is a great one to distract you bc it’s the one you want to be doing - the fun one!

As @millworkman said, focus first on fixing the problem and making sure that there is no mold. Mold in any pourous material cannot be killed by chemicals as they generally cannot reach the roots and so kill the head only. Heat (65°c for at least 40 minutes) is the only way to attack it in wood for instance. Best though is to remove.

A few thoughts on your spa/sauna.

1) Your sauna isn't actually a sauna but what's often called an American Psuedo Sauna. For a sauna experience the foot bench must always be above the top of the stones as otherwise you get 'cold feet' (which aren't actually very cold but anytime the foot bench is more than 20% cooler than head temp (39" above the sitting bench) and steam doesn't go down around feet). My guess is that it also doesn't have proper ventilation (there s/b fresh air entering above the heater and being exhausted from below the foot bench). The heater looks like an old Tylo that didn't have sufficient stone capacity.

So if you can, fix your sauna as part of your remodel. Search for Trumpkin's Notes on Building a Sauna for more.

2) Make sure to have at least one convenient shower nearby the sauna (outside the U.S. is typically 2 or 3.. It should be directly outside the sauna and open so easy to use without doors or shower curtains. You should always shower before each time you enter the sauna (Americans don't often do this for some reason which is gross) so that'd be 4 showers for a typical 3 round sauna session which is why it should be open and very easy to use.

3) Consider adding a steam shower / laconium / caldarium / tepidarium. This is separate from the shower for the sauna and is a wonderful pairing with a sauna. The floor, walls and ceiling are heated by hydronic heat which offers a number of wonderful experiences.

4) The flooring between the sauna, showers, steam bath and outside should be easy to clean and slip proof tile. You don't want to drip water or sweat on any kind of carpet.

5) Natural light. If this is subterranean then large window wells, or better, a subterranean patio so that you can go outside easier. Having a lot of natural light, even at night, makes a huge difference and is critical for a spa.

Good luck with this. Post photos of the end result!

Thanks for all the ideas, opaone!

Any update? Thinking of you.

Hi Flo! Thanks for checking in. The contractor is in the process of getting the gutters repaired, raising the window wells, installing drainage, and waterproofing the foundation walls. We are thinking of using this LVP wood-look for the floors in the yoga room and entry to the bathroom/sauna. Perhaps on the entire floor, including the “foyer” and tv sitting room too. It will depend on whether the floor is level enough to do the LVP (glue-down) or if it will be too costly to level it all out, then we could do a neutral carpet. I thought of a way to hide the ugly treadmill - maybe move the tv sitting area to the front of the room, and put the treadmill in the back, behind wood slats. You can of course see through wood slats, but maybe I could add a plexiglass panel behind it lined with Japanese rice paper style window film. If you have any other ideas, please let me know!

Hopefully, you are also changing insurance companies, and getting rid of Liberty Mutual. There are much better insurance companies out there, and that one is one of the worst.

A friend of mine drew this up as a possible way to do the basement sitting room. I like it! But my contractor is moving so slowly, I fear that I will be a long time before we get this remodeling done. I’ll update when something, anything happens…

I saw this pretty inspiration photo and came up with a new design for the fireplace/TV wall. Please let me know what you think! Certain things cannot be moved very much, because the new linear gas fireplace must go to the left of the existing fireplace (which won’t be demolished) due to installation requirements. To reduce cost, we will not attempt to demolish the current fireplace, and instead frame/veneer over it. I would appreciate comments about whether it looks balanced, or other cosmetic ideas you might have, or cautions about thjngs I’m not realizing. Also, what color stone for the fireplace surround? I plan to paint the entire basement a single light neutral color, including baseboards.

From left to right (approx measurements)

• 40” shoji screen covered shelves
• 60” stone fireplace surround
• 63” drywall with 43” TV mounted in center
• 40” wood slat/open shelf unit
• 103” long wood beam across face of drywall and wood slat/shelf unit
• ends at 90 degrees shoji screen blocking treadmill
  
  

Hi LB - couple questions - I’m trying to orient myself with your pics. Pony wall - the reason to lower it is for seating or…? When lowered will it have lift up top for storage? Fireplace - It makes sense not to remove due to expense & especially if it has a chimney that connects to any of the upstairs FP’s. My question is - could the linear gas FP be installed inside the existing FP? From the side view in pic it looks like a nice design FP - does it just not fit the vibe you want for space so easiest to hide it under framed wall?

The layout of the wall looks great & yes, very balanced. I like the new FP extended out 20” from wall. It breaks up an otherwise very long expanse of wall - that’s 17’+ right?

How deep would the open shelving be at the end of room where treadmill will be? The shelving at other end has the shoji screen so that’s storage I’m assuming.

You asked about closing / merging this post. I wouldn’t merge it with your Powder room post - too confusing. You can edit title of this post & also your post description. I think that will make sure your many followers can continue with each post & new readers can see history.

Hi @KW PNW Z8! I had no idea it was possible to edit posts!

I want to lower the pony wall so it’s more functional for the treadmill that will be going next to it. I can sit on the bench and put on my sneakers. But good idea about adding storage inside! .

The linear fireplace cannot be installed inside the existing fireplace because the current hole is too small. The fireplace people came and advised that I put it next to the fireplace because of the depth and width required. I also have the option of using a fireplace insert, but that would be the same classic shape as the current one, and they mentioned would change the look of my chimney dramatically on the front of my house because it would no longer have the old fashioned ceramic pipes on top. Plus, I don’t like how the current fireplace looks with the top tapering and sloping back. So I figured I would start fresh with a more modern spa feeling with the new design. .

Yes, the room is super long, and not very wide - 17’ long for my new wall, and another 7.5’ for the treadmill area. The shoji screen on the left of the fireplace will have storage shelving inside. I wasn’t sure if it’s too much shoji; if a regular wood cabinet would be better to balance the wood slat/open shelf combo on the right? Then another shoji coming out 90 degrees from the wall to block the treadmill area. It’s probably confusing because I don’t know how to draw plans properly 🤣 - just tried to generally lay out what I was thinking. Also the photo with the wood slats drawn in is now a shoji screen because I realized that you can see right through wood slats and that wouldn’t actually hide the treadmill. I always value your input, so if anything strikes you as weird, please do let me know!

I’ve seen a chart shared before that shows how high to hang a TV depending on the size and how far away seating is - but now I can’t find anywhere. . Does anyone have this chart?

Hi @Little Bird -The fireplace people gave you really good advice. It would be a huge mistake to alter the ceramic chimey pipes. Those are like the chimney pots used in UK / Yorkshire. As people modernized their homes those chimneys were taken down. There are so many here in US - I have a collection of 5 between my front & back yards. They make great flower pot or gazing ball holders & the taller ones I’ve seen wired for lights! I had 3 of them on my front porch at my last home & they generated many remarks about my neat chess pieces. The tops are all different - pineapple or crown etc.

Back to your project. Is there such a thing as too much shoji? The screens create a serene & peaceful space - IMO. I’m wondering if the screen blocking view of treadmill could be on a ceiling track to slide it so you’d have view of TV while on treadmill - if you wanted that. Or, could the treadmill have it’s back end closer to opposite wall & screen be coming off that opposite wall that couch backs up to? Then you could see the TV wall while on treadmill even if screen is fixed in place. Something to think about. I know just the TV placement guide you mean. It’s a PRO who posts it. Maybe our friend @Flo Mangan or it might be @BeverlyFLADeziner either of you have that chart to post?

KW, that’s a good point about positioning the treadmill so I can see the TV. The only thing is that would block the window on the other side of the wall, which might make the room feel darker. I’ll put up a wall-ish barrier there and see…

Here’s one “guide”.

And. Distance ranges.

Oops clicked on wrong screen shot. Let me try again