State Specific Question About: MASSACHUSETTS (MA)

Hello everyone! It has been a while since I have been around here asking questions. I hope everyone is doing well and had a great Fourth of July with their families.

I am looking for advice on leveling an unfinished basement floor.

I own a multifamily home and I am looking for practical advice from landlords or homeowners who have dealt with an unfinished basement floor.

The basement floor is concrete, but it has several uneven areas. The biggest concern is the laundry area. The washer and dryer need to stay where they are because the water hookups and drainage are already located there. Right now, I have them sitting on a plywood platform to make the area more level, but I would like to improve it properly.

My concern is that I do not want to add too much concrete or raise the floor too much. The basement ceiling already has several pipes running across it, and I do not want to reduce the headroom even more. In the future, I may want to finish the ceiling with a removable drop-ceiling system—the square panels that can be removed for access to pipes—or possibly drywall. However, I am concerned that drywall may make future plumbing repairs more difficult if a pipe leaks or needs work.

For those who have dealt with a similar basement:

What is the best way to level only the uneven areas without raising the entire floor too much?

Would self-leveling concrete, patching compound, or another method make more sense?

Is it better to create a level laundry platform rather than level the entire basement?

For a basement with exposed plumbing, would you recommend a drop ceiling with removable panels, drywall with access panels, or leaving it exposed?

Are there any moisture, drainage, or code issues I should consider before doing this?

I am not trying to turn it into finished living space right now. My main goal is a safer, cleaner, more usable basement floor, especially around the washer and dryer, while keeping future maintenance access practical.

Self leveling concrete. Maybe make a regular concrete pad under the washer/dryer area as that self leveling concrete is pretty thin and might not stand up to the wear and tear. Some 2x4's for a form and a few bags of ready mix prepared in a wheelbarrow would do a small pad. If you want the floor really level, get a Lazer and set it about halfway up the wall, then measure DOWN from the Lazer line to the floor and mark the floor to level it. Lazers are MUCH less expensive than in the old days and now they even have tape measures with them built in. Just get one and sit it on a camera tripod that you have leveled out.

Keep the ceiling as a drop ceiling with the panels. Also easy to level with a Lazer. They make systems that don't require much space between the floor joists and the grid. You never know where a leak may appear. Costs would not be that much different from drywall.

If the area is not going to be lived in, I'd just leave the ceiling exposed.

If there are drainage issues, maybe a sump pump would be appropriate.

Very smart to ask questions. Check to see if your underground/under slab pipes are Plastic OR Metal! There are different tracers for each type of pipe.

As a plumber and electrician I have tracing tools to find most anything under ground, and the equipment to determine depth.

Before you add concrete to level the floor, overhead height is very important.

Unless you have a full 8 foot clearance, when selling the property, most lenders and buyers won't count a finished basement without proper headroom.

Most laundry under ground pipes are were the raised concrete is LOCATED due to the required SLOPE OF THE DRAIN LINE. 1 INCH FOR EVERY 10 FEET.

You can hire someone with the right equipment, but unless the pipes are METAL, or they have a tracer they can put inside the line, depth may me a issue.

ONE JOB I was hired to do, the previous contractors blew it. The Tie-In drain line (Sewer line) was so close to the surface and the slope to the Washer and Dryer was wrong, it kept failing inspection. After the owner spent $20,000 doing nothing, I was hired to simply make the slop correct.

Thank you, Richard and Robert J. I appreciate the detailed feedback.

So far, I have not had any significant flooding issues in the basement. In the eight years I have owned the property, I had one incident where a water-heater pipe burst while I was working in a small office area in the basement. Fortunately, I heard the hissing sound quickly, shut off the main water, and resolved it before it became a larger issue. The boilers are raised and have a surrounding drainage area, which helped prevent damage. Still, I have considered adding a sump pump in the future as an extra precaution.

Robert, I am not planning to turn the basement into finished living space. I received an estimate several years ago to finish the entire basement, and it was around $35,000. Because the usable space is limited, it did not seem worth that investment.

My main goal is to improve and organize the area near the stairs and laundry machines. I would like the floor to be level and safe around the washer and dryer, while keeping as much ceiling height as possible. I may eventually make that small laundry area more comfortable with a couple of chairs, a small sofa, or a TV, but it would not be used as a bedroom or rental living space.

If I eventually allow tenants to use the washer and dryer, I would also create a separated laundry area with a wall and locked door. They would only have access to the laundry section, while the remaining basement area would remain for landlord access, maintenance, and emergencies only.

A friend with a 6 unit had the Washer/Dryer in the basement. I went there to see an open house, a 2 bedroom was up for rent. Someone walked in and the person asked, "How much for this unit"? The owner, a 72 year old housewife said, it's $895. I then stepped between the owner and person asking the question and said, that's $895 for the Deposit AND $1395 a month for rent. I got the person to accept the unit, sign a lease and while she went to the bank for cash, I used a tenants computer to run a credit and background check. The tenant who's computer I used was the personal assistant to Michael Keaton the actor.

The owner asked, HOW DID YOU KNOW THE UNIT WAS WORTH $1395? I said I owned a 4 unit three blocks away and that's what I got last month -- and the people were lining up to pay that rent. The owner never checked the new market value, she just wanted to rent it and be done.

Going back to the basement laundry units and steps. I told the owner, WITH ALL OF THE EXTRA MONEY I GOT HER IN RENT, She has to make the basement safe.

The steps had a hand rail only on one side and it wasn't to code. We need hand rails on both side, to code. And 1 light bulb for the entire basement is too dark, you need to illuminate the stairs, and laundry machines separately.

Then the stairs were made of planks, 2 per step and uneven. We needed to add new stair tread coverings, plastic with an anti-slide covering. Heave gauge plastic designed for over 500 pounds per step. Like $32 per step.

And the basement needs the carpet removed. Just laid down and someone could trip. The sump pump is old and has no back up. We need to put a new sump pump (120Volt) with a 12 volt back up. And a $15 water alarm.

Karen the owner didn't want to spend the money.She was going to make $6000 more in rent because I was there. So guess what happened?

1) I refused to work for an owner who was penny wise and pound foolish.

2) A tenant in the property was carrying a basket of laundry (up or down) the steps in front of her and couldn't see where she was going. Slid and fell, and broke her foot/ankle. 7 months out of work. Cost Karen around $150,000. She could have spent between $1000 to $2000 and made the basement safe. I also wanted to put in a dumb elevator to carry the close up and down.

Of course instead, between the 6 unit and the garage area in the alleyway, there was a back yard are of 18' x 60'. I had my welder fabricate a metal shed/laundry room to hold a washer and dryer. I ran power, gas, a drain line, etc. For $3500, she had a laundry room on the first floor yard, NOT THE BASEMENT.

I have a laundry room in the basement of my 16 unit. On the side of the building I built a track to carry laundry from the 1st floor hallway, down to the outside walk way. No one is allowed to carry anything that requires two hand. Using the stair rail is a requirement.

Robert J as always great experience shared, most people just want to earn money and not invest in their home, we had done tons of things here, insulation, new water heaters, new boilers, all windows on 1st floor, new wider gutters, a small gazebo/pergola next to the shed, added 3 ceiling fan on 1st floor, planning to do the same on 2nd floor, they do not use A/C even tho I had asked them or clarify that they could use A/C, as long as we get someone to do the proper installation with a base support, and they keep saying no, they are Ok, I assume is for the electric bill LOL... We did the bathroom, kitchen and dinning floors on 2nd floor, kitchen on 1st floor (we need to re-do the kitchen floor on 2nd floor, the person that did the job sucks, I have several gaps now thru out the floor, one day due to the tenant irresponsibility, they left the kitchen faucet opened, water over flooded and we got water coming from one of the kitchen light bulb on 1st floor, that was over 6 month ago, for now ceiling looks ok, no visible damage, I had someone coming to check as a Landlord, investor and tradesman, he said if you don't notice any difference, it is Ok, but if you have the money and want to replace it, ok go ahead, so far it is ok no changes), so yes, we had done several investment here...

You don't want to LEVEL your basement floor--it may be sloped intentionally to direct water to the floor drain. You want to FLATTEN it. Use self-leveling compound (prime properly first) to get a beautifully even surface.

Create a LEVEL platform just for the washer/dryer. You could use concrete, but what if you ever have to open up the floor to access a drain pipe underneath? I'd build a better wooden platform if I were you.

Leave the ceiling open. It will feel more spacious. If you really want to create a nice feel, paint everything in the joist area with white Dryfall.

Richard, i get the slopped idea, i meant to flatten it yes, there are areas like a little mountain, raised lol, so i don't want to all surrounding areas be to that level, that will make ceiling height shorter, there are some cracks here and there, and since i want to level the area of the laundry, i planned to extend that flattened area.

You have to work with the highest point of the floor and then decide what you want to do.

If the floor was poured poorly and has a lot of peaks and valleys you can grind the tall stuff down. It is a messy, laborious job tho.

But that would keep you from having to shorten the height of the area throughout.

Once you get it all as level as you want you can mix self leveling compound that allows a feather finish. Pour it in and trowel or broom as needed. Troweling is smoother, brooming is safer for slips when wet.

You can get attachments for the grinder that allows it to be hooked to a shop-vac. That will help with the dust, but there will still be dust. PPE as required and let the tenants know the laundry will be inaccessible for a short time. Maybe do it in phases so they can still get their stuff done.

It is not a finished area so putting a ceiling in that you might have to remove should be long after you address the floor. If you make it too nice people might start camping out down there.

Also, the cracks are there for a reason. Most likely they will return. But you can grind the crack out in an inverted V and fill it. Many options to do that. Could be just a nice silicone that will allow a little movement. You will be covering it all with either self leveler or even just Portland cement.

Hey Ray-N-Pa nice to read you. Yes I have read some good things about those flakes.

Portland is cement. You can buy bags of it. There is no sand or rocks in it. If I use it to patch I mix masonry sand in it. But you can use it like a paint to spruce up the look.

I see no reason that you have to tell the utility company, or anyone else, about the project. You are just beautifying the place, not changing locations.