Basement tile over Kilz?

[d3minimis]

When we bought our house the basement smelled like cat piss even after powerwashing, vinegar, baking soda, bleach, etc. So I covered the whole place with Kilz oil.

We want to semi-finish the basement (XPS + some sort of flooring) and tile seems like the best-looking, most economical and best fit for a basement since it's impervious to water (we have a really dry basement but don't want to risk carpet or other options).

Will there be any problems applying thinset, etc to the floor with a layer of Kilz already there?

Thanks..

[Greg]

Probably not, but I'd use a "binder" coating to be sure.  Sold at better tile supply stores (flooring etc.).

[d3minimis]

We're also considering vinyl tile - do you think there would be any problems with that?

[Greg]

The vinyl tile that I've worked with (like Armstrong CVT) use a water-based trowel-on adhesive that you let dry to a tacky state and then lay the tile.  I think this would work ok, my only concern is the adhesion of the Kilz.  Any places where it's not very good, it will be the weak point of the installation.  The plus is that the CVT adhesive is soft and pliable, at least compared to thinset. A drawback is that you would want to use a leveling compound to smooth the surface, since any and all imperfections will eventually telegraph through and become imperfections in the CVT.

Is the Kilz on top of the slab or the XPS?  Not sure I understand the situation. :)

[d3minimis]

Thanks for the help! The kilz is over the slab. The XPS will eventually go on the walls but not the floor. What type of leveling compound would you recommend? How difficult is application?

[d3minimis]

I'm looking at these options right now: http://www.homedepot.com/b/Flooring-Vinyl-Flooring-Resilient-Flooring/N-5yc1vZapwrZbwo5o?NCNI-5&lowerBound=0&upperBound=2

[couponvan]

We have a similar situation where we did porch paint in our basement.  We still have a moisture problem and are waiting to do flooring until that gets fixed.  We plan to do vinyl plank flooring so that if it ever gets wet it wouldn't get ruined.  It installs like a laminate floor, and there is no grout.  If you have grout, you'll risk cracking in a basement more than anywhere else.  We've had a few "sections" of the vinyl plank laid out for about 6 months now and they haven't come apart or gotten damaged.

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Flooring-Vinyl-Flooring-Resilient-Flooring-Resilient-Vinyl-Planks/N-5yc1vZbzjz

[Bob W]

You might consider a nice epoxy paint such as the Behr's line.  Very economical and easy DIY.

[d3minimis]

Bob, that was my number one choice in the beginning but I doubted whether the epoxy would be strong enough to seal in the odor. The warnings here (http://www.behr.com/consumer/products/floor-coatings-sealers-and-prep/behr-premium-two-part-epoxy-garage-floor-coating) don't say not to use over painted surfaces, only to not use if it's peeling or loose. It also says "Previously painted concrete may be repainted only if it has excellent adhesion to the floor."

Do you think that would work in my situation? How would I be able to determine the level of adhesion?

[Greystache]

I don't know if you will get good adhesion with thinset mortar or mastic on top of paint.  You could try a test to check it out before you do the whole floor.  If you are worried about adhesion, there is another solution you could try. There are click together ceramic floating tiles that do not require adhesives or mortar.  Here is a link. http://www.homedepot.com/p/SnapStone-Paxton-12-in-x-12-in-Porcelain-Floor-Tile-5-sq-ft-case-11-018-02-01/204508506

[DK]

you might want to think about xps on the floor too. unless you are planning to do some infloor heating. tile floor in a basement makes my feet cold just thinking about it.

the padding+carpeting you could tell some coldness in my own. due to some issues, it ended up getting torn out, and i replaced it with xps+osb+padding+carpeting. a definite difference. still not like a ground level floor, but much closer. it also seemed to cut down on the humidity levels down there.

[Bob W]

Bob, that was my number one choice in the beginning but I doubted whether the epoxy would be strong enough to seal in the odor. The warnings here (http://www.behr.com/consumer/products/floor-coatings-sealers-and-prep/behr-premium-two-part-epoxy-garage-floor-coating) don't say not to use over painted surfaces, only to not use if it's peeling or loose. It also says "Previously painted concrete may be repainted only if it has excellent adhesion to the floor."

Do you think that would work in my situation? How would I be able to determine the level of adhesion?   They sell a stripper as well.