Best option for basement subfloor

1/15/2018 at 7:34:26 AM

Dricore, available at home Depot is probably the best simplest and most effective system commonly available. It's a bit expensive, but then so is water damage to floors and furniture when clients have opted not to use it and had minor water in their basements.

1/15/2018 at 8:06:50 AM

I use drycore.

It avoids potential water damage down the road. And it fits well together for a quieter floor.

1/15/2018 at 8:41:25 AM

Dricore is good but for a cheaper option you could use a plywood!

1/15/2018 at 10:29:53 AM

Dricore is the easiest and is quite efficient dry core is the easiest and is quite efficient to give you a thermal barrier. If you are going to install hardwood you will need to install minimum 5/8 of an inch plywood over top of the dricore three-quarter inch recommended.

1/15/2018 at 11:57:06 AM

Drive core is definitely an option and easy for most people to install . However if your concrete has some ups and downs in it the drive core can feel spongey as you walk across it. Also it limits you to floating floor installations unless you are willing to throw an additional layer of ply on top of the dricore.

Personally I'm a fan of using the dimmpled polyethylene rolls and then anchoring 3/4" plywood to the concrete using a hammer drill and split drive anchors. This creates a solid substrate for all flooring options as well as your only paying for one layer of ply.

Some people will do this same method but use heavy duty poly with 2*4 sleepers layed flat and anchor those to the concrete and then screw plywood to the sleepers. This way allows you to level the floor before adding the plywood by shaving down the 2*4 as needed.

1/16/2018 at 5:59:26 PM

Drycore is the best for a few reasons. It allows breathing, has a plastic vapour barrier, is very efficient for labour install.

1/16/2018 at 11:17:56 PM

I agree with Cory.

IF you looking for something fast and easy go for dricore if you wanna save some money do the other way and I like to have it secured to the ground instead of floating

1/22/2018 at 12:45:02 PM

Additionally, Drycore is designed for basement floors where the concrete is sloped for proper drainage. Where Drycore is simple to install, most home owners or handymen will skip the step of leveling the Drycore with plastic shims, this is very important for most flooring finishes and will eliminate that spongy feeling.

Hiring a professional to install Drycore isn't usually expensive because of the ease installation but can save you time, money and headaches later on with the finish.