Hi everyone. I recently ripped the skanky carpeting out of our basement with the idea of just putting a finish on the concrete slab instead of other flooring. Now that I'm into it, I have a few issues:
Thanks for any help you can offer.
- The tack strips for the carpeting left holes in the concrete. I am tempted to ignore them, because I have read that patching the holes will leave spots of a different color than the floor, but I'm not sure whether it's a mistake or not to leave them be. There are dozens of holes along every wall in the basement. We are finishing the basement in a rustic loft-type of style, but not sure whether this will be too much.
- Is there a good way to remove the carpet mastic? I have tried a few different adhesive removers with a scraper, but with a good-sized basement it's apparent this will take roughly forever. Is sanding the right approach? If so, what kind of sander?
- There is plaster on the floor as well to fill some seams. Any advice on what to do with that?
Thanks for any help you can offer.