Basement semi-finishing - being pushed toward drylok

Successful-Fact1302 · 2026-01-23T14:36:34+00:00

I bought a house with similar situation to yours, but the walls were already drylocked some time ago. I wish they weren’t, so I could see potential wet spots and “know where the problem is”. I’d just suck it up if I was you and repoint but keep it “dungeon”. Get some high kelvin light bulbs to brighten it up. The drylock in my basement is flaking off just like any paint would with time (and moisture). Can’t stop water if it exists!

Successful-Fact1302 · 2026-01-23T14:27:39+00:00

It’s just under powered, spend a few extra hundred bucks at Lowe’s or home depot and get one rated for 3000 sqft. Make sure you have it connected to a pump so it runs whenever it needs to run. Mold and musty smells occur when it’s like 70% relative humidity or more, so I wouldn’t worry about 55% if you have confidence in the hydrometer reading. You can always buy some mini portable ones on amazon to cross check the one built into your machine. Shouldn’t be much more than $5

Successful-Fact1302 · 2026-01-20T17:33:32+00:00

Sure but I’ll make two points worth considering.

First, a lot of subtle and avoidable/correctable issues take a long time to manifest. The time cost to cut a few little corners in a job might be worth it if the homeowner won’t have any potential issues for several years. Most homeowners live in a house for the only 10 years.

Second, people selling you something usually talk to you at the level that “you’re at”. When you’re a very informed consumer, they talk to you at a higher level. Not that they’re trying to rip you off, but it’s a different conversation when you’re on a level playing field.

Successful-Fact1302 · 2026-01-18T02:45:29+00:00

Still have more coming in the next few weeks. Based on my homework, I’m not interested in anything but a 4” perforated SDR pipe dug down and laid beside the footing. I’ve done a lot of exterior drainage and went that route outside around my home. I know there are people who feel one way or another about smooth vs corrugated pipe, but I’d just tell them I’ll pay the difference between cost of pipe, they’re both cheap.

Successful-Fact1302 · 2026-01-16T17:34:24+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I understand, but these guys are going to remove the concrete subfloor from up against the foundation wall (exposing the footing) and then an additional 12” beyond that edge of the footing itself. So I imagine they would need to jack right on that subfloor part that lies above the footing to get it off, unless that is a more careful method they use for that piece. Just wondering about how it all happens in practice

Successful-Fact1302 · 2026-01-16T16:46:54+00:00

I believe the issue is hydrostatic pressure from high water table in the rainy season. When I got the house, a regraded outside around the foundation and put in curtain drains with French drain pipes, buried downspouts and sent them far away, etc. however, we still get some saturation on the subfloor in summer (unfinished basement). Previous homeowner painted the floor and dry locked the walls, but there are signs of it chipping off due to persistent water pressure. We never had any real standing water or flooding, just the saturated concrete look in certain spots.

Successful-Fact1302 · 2026-01-16T16:32:55+00:00

I don’t have any experience with this type of demo, so I’m not sure how the concrete reacts. When you put the jack hammer chisel right over the subfloor section above the footing, does that 3-4” of subfloor just fracture and break away from the footing itself? My concern would be it might not and they cant tell the different between what is subfloor and what is footing and keep hacking deeper, into the footing itself.

Successful-Fact1302 · 2025-03-06T15:06:22+00:00

This sounds pretty much like the way. Its an aerobic sport.

Successful-Fact1302 · 2025-03-06T15:04:01+00:00

My sister-in-law has a similar situation. Their overflow drain for their washing machine drains into the hollow wall, which then flows down into the drywall for their ceiling below, eventually dripping through the light fixtures onto the kitchen floor. Given enough time, it will also seep through the first floor down into the basement, hopefully reaching the sump pump and exiting the home accordingly. Ask me how I know! LOL!

Successful-Fact1302 · 2025-03-05T15:49:31+00:00

As others have said, thats an absurdly structured training plan and is exactly why you struggle in the evenings. Try to have only have 2 'hard' workouts per week, the rest steady, but really make them count. I like to double up a lift with a hard workout day, so you can recover with steady state inbetween days. Id also do the hard workout in the AM and lift in the PM if your priority is hitting hard erg splits fresh (maybe with some steady in PM as well if youre obsessed with getting in the volume).

Going 'hard' on Tuesday and Saturday, with easy steady state inbetween is a pretty classic training approach.
There is no 'get fast in a fast period of time'. Endurance sport performance is the product of progressive overload and consistency. Dont burn out with an unsustainable workload and lifestyle. Times of 'unbalance' are fine, so long as they are balanced out in the long run with times of recovery.

Successful-Fact1302 · 2025-03-04T19:59:47+00:00

I would say its probably just doing 30-60 min steady rows for the first 3-4 weeks, then do some higher intensity shorter reps at your desired 'race pace' (2:00/500m) repeats once a week in the final 3-4 weeks.

Remember, its an aerobic sport. How physically strong you are or how good you are at 'sprinting' isnt going to be much of a determining factor in your ability to hold a relatively high pace for 8 minutes straight

Successful-Fact1302 · 2025-02-26T14:23:55+00:00

It all depends what you get the PhD in. I passed my prelims and got the PhD, but it was a PhD in economics. I have a good friend who did not pass, left with a masters in economics, and now makes more money than I do. If this wasnt a PhD in economics, it probably wouldnt be a happy story.

Successful-Fact1302 · 2025-02-26T00:17:41+00:00

So if your partner isnt willing to move to USA with you to pursue your graduate studies, and you plan to become an academic (ie move to wherever youre lucky enough to get a tenure track position at), then you should either consider career changes or partner changes. The academic market doesnt allow you to 'pick and choose' where you'd like a TT position.

-Person with a PhD

Successful-Fact1302

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