Any members just go carpet on there basement cement floor? I'm debating spending the money on DRICORE?

How is it heat wise?

Extra thick underpad?

Do you notice any of the unlevel of the bare cement?

Anything easy to install but cheaper than dricore?

thanks,
WS

We had carpet on cement in our old place. Never gave us any issues. Floor was a bit cool during the dead of winter, but otherwise fine. Planning on doing the same with this build.

I bought Dricore for my basement theater. I haven't installed it yet, but I'd be really leery about putting carpet right on the cement, even if it was a historically dry basement. One basement leak or plumbing problem and you'll be replacing the carpet, thereby justifying the cost of the Dricore in the first place.

Is far as temperature, the Dricore flooring is going to MUCH warmer. Air is a great insulator and just that small gap will give you a lot.

If you want something cheaper you can use 2x4's and plywood with a polyethylene vapor barrier, but that's definitely not easier than Dricore and it really isn't THAT much cheaper either. Maybe half as much? I'd pay the extra few hundred bucks for the ease of use of the Dricore.

I know some people have used DELTA-FL, not sure if its any cheaper than Dircore though

I went with Dricore and would use it again in a heartbeat. I helps make the room feel warmer and it also give a better feeling to the floor. Less basement like.

I put carpet on the cement floor when I lived in Chicago but I used a good moisture designed padding that was almost as expensive as the carpet. The floor was never cold and people never complained but I also had a fireplace down there that kept it warmer.

The basement I am finishing in our new house will have dricore probably just because it is widely available.
Here is a picture of my old basement.
http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Rumrunner_31/DSC01186.jpg

I used dri-core in several basement remodels I have done - it does as claimed, goes in easily, and makes the floor feel much more comfortable. Dust mites love cool floors and carpet.

I'll be using it in my basement.

We had carpet on cement in our old place. Never gave us any issues. Floor was a bit cool during the dead of winter, but otherwise fine. Planning on doing the same with this build.

how about the infrasonic sounds, does it travel well?

I went with in-floor heating in mine but its not a practical thing to add if your not at the building stage. In my last house I used Dri-core and it works well I never had any issues and enjoyed the benefits of a dry,warm and comfy floor (of course now I have a really dry, warm and comfy floor but at many times the cost)

Cheers
Calvin

Thanks for all the reply's!

I have about 900 sqft in my basement. So the cost will be about $2000 for the Dricore...$6.97 / tile here in Toronto. Thats the cost of a nice new projector! So really hard to justify....


We have lived at this house for 3 years with 0 water on the floor. I saw an underpad today at rona that was $40/100 sqft. It looked waterproof on 1 side. Anyone try that sort of thing?

WS

Our whole basement is carpeted, with no issues at all. I can't even say the floor is really that much colder in the winter. The only plus I can really see to a sub floor (non flooding area), is a much better tactile feel from your sub. I'd really like to not have had to use butt kickers for my tactile response, especially considering I'm running a PB12/2 Ultra. :o

Bass addict- no subfloor?

Has anyone ever tried to "paint" their basement floor with one of those epoxy floor paints like I've seen in garages and then put down pad/carpet? Would this create enough of a barier for water coming up through the floor? Just a thought.

I skipped the subfloor/drycore and went with standard pad + carpet on concrete.

How is it heat wise?

Just fine in the winter and summer. It is -4 F here right now, and the floor does not feel noticeably cold.

Extra thick underpad?

Nope, did not pay any attention - used the pad recommended by the carpet company.

Do you notice any of the unlevel of the bare cement?

No. The floor is not level, but not by enough to notice, you would never know it was not ruler flat.

Bass addict- no subfloor?

No, flooding is a non issue where my house is built. I went to install underground sprinklers last year and after the first ten feet of trench gave up. My house is built on an old river bed and I guarantee if there is water in my basement there is going to be an ark sitting outside. :D

Thanks for all the reply's!

I have about 900 sqft in my basement. So the cost will be about $2000 for the Dricore...$6.97 / tile here in Toronto. Thats the cost of a nice new projector! So really hard to justify....


We have lived at this house for 3 years with 0 water on the floor. I saw an underpad today at rona that was $40/100 sqft. It looked waterproof on 1 side. Anyone try that sort of thing?

WS

A bit off but would help your basement.

I'm also a member of Terry Love plumbing forum. Last year or two, I told them that I really want a basement free from water. They told me to add another sump pump. They recommended Aquanot II sump pump. So maybe, if you really want your basement to stay dry and not be bothered when you are sleeping, you might want to install this brand. They're claiming that's it's the most durable sump pump they ever had and had seen. I don't know if that's really how strong/durable it is.

I'm currently making the same decisions.

Our last house was on a slab, and padded and carpeted. That is no different than the situation in our new walkout basement. It seems to be common practice here with all the houses on slabs. I don't think I will be using anything under the padding.

Awesome feedback guys much appreciated.

I'm still undecided but think I may go with doing the theater room in Dricore since it is the only area in the basement that will have carpet. We are thinking of possibly going with a cork floor in the rest of the basement...in my mind I think the cork will be warm for some reason. Maybe im wrong?

I'm ITCHING to get at least the theater room carpeted and then start trimming it.

What would cork floor be like in a theater room? I read this on a website:

Sound & Vibration Reduction
Cork reduces the transmission of sound, vibration, heat and thus is a great insulator. The tiny cellular compartments seal air in each compartment insulating each from the other with a moisture resistant, waxy-like substance. This makes cork a great material for recording studios, entertainment rooms, and any other places where sound needs to be reduced. Cork has long been used in commercial buildings between floors and on roofs under heavy machinery for sound and vibration reduction. Cork reduces impact sound (IIC) as well as sound transmission (STC).

Just to come at this from another angle, I went a slightly different way: 15 years in my house, water in the basement twice (although none since since regrading, new gutters, other mitigation steps). However, Murphy's law prevails. When I finished the room, the intention was to make it "recoverable" should a flooding occur. Instead of Dricore, I went with those 2' x 2' interlocking foam pads sold for kids playroom/work areas - you can find them at the Big Box stores. Over that went the carpet (in my case, I went with a bound remnant that fit the exact dimensions of the room). The idea is that in the event of water, I can roll up the rug, pull up the squares, and let everything dry out with minimal loss. Meanwhile, the closed cell foam provides a nice soft cushion for the rug, makes it "feel" warmer, and was far cheaper than the Dricore. YMMV.

WOW...good idea...Did you tape the foam pads together? My wife uses them in our daycare here at the house. They sit over top the carpet but slide around everywhere. Any problems with movement?

No sliding issues, as they interlock tightly, and I installed them tight to each of the 4 walls.

Mississauga here...

We had a high quality underpad over a painted concrete floor, in a well insulated and dry basement. Every spring and fall, we'd experience a "creep" factor. Although we felt warm and comfortable, all of a sudden, we would feel chilled through to the bone. Only happens in a small window in the late fall and early spring.

I have no moisture issues, but I have been thinking about using Multy Easy Tile Active Floor tiles, at Home Depot. They are recycled tire matting in 18" interlocking tiles and with a plywood subfloor over top, should offer a sound insulated floor. Then I thought they might make a nice underpad without the plywood floor. I guess Badcrazy and I have been thinking along similar lines...

As for unleveliness of the basement, the one bad area was filled with a concrete leveler product from Home Depot. It was quick and easy to use. Otherwise, we don't notice the little bit of uneaveness of the floor.

There is a misunderstanding of what dri-core is and does.

In warmer climates and houses on slabs, it's probably not as necessary. In colder climates with a home that has a furnace and A/C on it's less of an issue.

Where I am, we have 100% humidity in the summer and 5% humidity in the cold winters. That cold ground and high humidity in the summer can cause very high humidity levels in a basement. This can be mitigated somewhat with a furnace and/or A/C running. I have neither (but do run a dehumidifier)

High moisture levels from cold floors and high humidity will cause issues over time.

Some basements stay very warm in the winter due to uninsulated floors above, furnace and boiler heat loss into the space, etc..... My situation is the opposite, boiler 'room' is separate, and floors above are insulated very well. In this situation, the basement can see 45 degrees in the winter.

It's important to understand that dri-core is not intended to mitigate a basement with any water in it (standing or visible); it's designed to mitigate the trapped humidity in the flooring by providing an R value with very limited headroom loss.

Any water issues should be addressed before building in a basement. If water gets under dri-core it will keep it from getting to the flooring above to a point, and the air gap will allow the floor to dry given time, but repeated water intrusion or water intrusion and high humidity will still result in a less than optimal environment.

The 'best' method is to paint the floor with dry-lock paint to seal the floor from moisture entering from either direction, then top that with dri-core sub floor.

Keep the responses coming...this is becoming a VERY informative thread!!!


Just finished watching an episode of Holmes on holmes. He used Pink Styrofoam and plywood on the floor in the episode. Anyone try that?



Badcrazy,

Any underpad between carpet and tiles?

Badcrazy,

Any underpad between carpet and tiles?

Nope, none needed - squares are squishy enough to act as a pad. Although not exactly what I used, this is a close relative:

http://www.getrung.com/10mm-specs.html

The 'best' method is to paint the floor with dry-lock paint to seal the floor from moisture entering from either direction, then top that with dri-core sub floor.

Priceless!!! ;)

Thanks. I will go this route as well. :)

Thats awesome. What did the carpet installers say when they showed up?

I saw an underpad today at rona that was $40/100 sqft. It looked waterproof on 1 side. Anyone try that sort of thing?


Is this the padding (http://www.mohawk-flooring.com/carpeting/carpet-cushion.aspx) you saw? I have it is my house and it is great. Keeps the kid's spills and the dog's accidents from soaking in or getting to the subfloor. With a steam cleaner we are able to extract any liquids from the carpet, and never have any issues with "re-occurring" stains later as we had with previous carpet & standard padding.

In our old house, I used carpeting that had the pad built in, and taped it down so it could be easily pulled up to dry if it ever got wet (had a few sump pump problems over the years). That was fine for the relatively little we used the basement.

I'm just now ready to carpet the basement in our current house. I talked to a few builders in past Parades of Homes, and the most common way around here seems to just to go right on the concrete, with some using an extra-heavy pad. Two neighbors did the same and were happy with it, and I'm planning to do the same.

Carpet with decent padding over the concrete is just to quick and easy. I have not seen anybody around here take any other direction ever.

I have personal experience with both options working well.

In my mom's house north of Toronto, which is well-built and of new construction, her basement HT has carpet over a high-quality underpad directly on a level, flat concrete slab with no history of water penetration. I believe it was also sealed with a Drylok-type product. In addition, the entire level is also part of the main HVAC system, with dehumidification/air conditioning in the summer and humidification/forced air heating in winter. It's comfortable, dry and warm in there all year long.

On the other hand, my own build is in a century home. The dricore has been down for a year now, and carpet is scheduled to go on in a few weeks.

The basement is relatively dry, but during an extreme rainstorm, I have seen some water penetration through an old window which I need to replace. I've parged the foundation blocks and don't believe there will be excessive moisture problems, but you just never know with a home of this age. While Dricore is not really designed to solve serious standing water problems, it does give you a bit of insurance with one-off situations such as the above. The trickle ran right underneath the subfloor, and the combination of floor drain and recommended air convection gap took care of all the moisture surprisingly quickly.

In addition, the lower level isn't part of the whole-house HVAC system. Although I have installed additional heat and dehumidification, it will never be as efficient as a main trunk system, so I'm almost positive that the air convection afforded by the Dricore will definitely be noticeable in terms of keeping the carpet dry during summer.

A side benefit of the Dricore is that the old basement slab is extremely uneven and out of level compared to a new house. I had to use many levelling kits and PT shims, but the new subfloor is now -much- more even than it ever was before.

So in my case, the Dricore was definitely worth the $1000, whereas it is most probably unneccessary for my mom's house. A lot depends on your particular installation circumstance.

I dont exactly live in a *cold* climate (mild) but I put carpet over our concrete and nothing real special kind of pad. No problems with it at all. Gets a little cold in the corners on days like today when it breaks under 32 (which doesnt happen that often here).

http://www.silverti.com/ht/August%2011,%202007/DSC06728a.JPG

http://www.silverti.com/ht/November%2013,%202007/DSC00523b.JPG

It's about -20 with the wind chill here today. :)

Any members just go carpet on there basement cement floor? I'm debating spending the money on DRICORE?

How is it heat wise?

Extra thick underpad?

Do you notice any of the unlevel of the bare cement?

Anything easy to install but cheaper than dricore?

thanks,
WS

Thickest pad we could buy (8 lb.) and thick funkadelic shag carpet right over the concrete. Feels better than the cheap junk the builders put in the rest of the house.

Thanks Steve.

Im looking at shag as well....Pic?

What did it cost / sq foot installed?

WS

We also used Dricore and I recommend it though we had no water damage. It was easy to install if you play a DIY. Also have dricore over laminate and carpet (Carpet = HT room, laminate = elsewhere).

Thanks Steve.

Im looking at shag as well....Pic?

What did it cost / sq foot installed?

WS


Here's a pic of an open area section:
http://caesare.homeip.net:32171/basement/slides/IMG_1967.jpg

I have more pics here. (http://caesare.homeip.net:32171/basement)

If memory serves, the installed price with carpet and upgraded pad was in the neighborhood of $5/ft. The was through Lowes.

Steve,

That basement is so pimp...

Anyway I just signed up after finding this thread. I was looking for info on laying carpet down on cement floor.

I'm going to skip the plywood/dricore and just use thick poly and thick padding. In that case, I have to buy carpet that has padding built in right? Because you can only tape it down, i would assume trying to tape carpet on to a pad wouldn't work very well..?

Or whats the correct method for putting carpet down on cement without boards to tack it to..? We aren't even done with sheet rocking yet but I'm trying to get ideas.

Thanks,

Tony

Is far as temperature, the Dricore flooring is going to MUCH warmer. Air is a great insulator and just that small gap will give you a lot.

Keep in mind that this possibly isn't a good thing in a well-sealed theater room with people, projector, and other equipment. Having a free source of cooling to the ground can be a good thing.

Steve,

That basement is so pimp...

Anyway I just signed up after finding this thread. I was looking for info on laying carpet down on cement floor.

I'm going to skip the plywood/dricore and just use thick poly and thick padding. In that case, I have to buy carpet that has padding built in right? Because you can only tape it down, i would assume trying to tape carpet on to a pad wouldn't work very well..?

Or whats the correct method for putting carpet down on cement without boards to tack it to..? We aren't even done with sheet rocking yet but I'm trying to get ideas.

Thanks,

Tony

When we had the carpet replaced, there were tack boards glued (nailed?) to the cement. Installation was basically the same as with carpet installed over plywood.

Steve,

That basement is so pimp...

Anyway I just signed up after finding this thread. I was looking for info on laying carpet down on cement floor.

I'm going to skip the plywood/dricore and just use thick poly and thick padding. In that case, I have to buy carpet that has padding built in right? Because you can only tape it down, i would assume trying to tape carpet on to a pad wouldn't work very well..?

Or whats the correct method for putting carpet down on cement without boards to tack it to..? We aren't even done with sheet rocking yet but I'm trying to get ideas.

Thanks,

Tony


Hey, thanks.

The installers mailed the tack board right to the concrete, (using stubby concrete nails), and just installed padding and stretched the carpet on to the tack strips as with any other install.

I know some people have used DELTA-FL, not sure if its any cheaper than Dircore though

Good thread, timely info.

We just bought Engineered cork flooring from Lowes and will put Delta-FL under it, direct onto the basement cement floor. This will go in my wifes 11 x 12 craft room. We live in Brighton, Mich, walkout basement.
She wants that for it's warmth, easy on your feet, etc.
That install will be week of 3/1 maybe (this weekend), I'll post my thoughts on that and how it might work/feel in a HT environment.

FWIW, Lowes has 20% off special orders thru 3/2, so if you really want cork flooring that might save you some $$$, it saved us a few $100's.

I have been in the flooring business now for over 15 years, and I have seen it all. Dricor is a plus if your gonna go with a engineered wood or laminate floor. But if your gonna go carpet over concrete then go with carpet and padding. Pad thickness is up to you whatever your desired comfort level is. If you still concerned about moisture try a pad called pet pad it has a solid moisture barrier on the top and bottom of the pad and is only about a 2.00 s/y more upgrade.