[nathan_h]

As described in this thread, here, I am converting a detached garage into a dedicated media space / home theater.


Although i am a big fan of hardwood floors with generous area rugs for most living spaces, the floor of the garage is going to be freshly poured concrete. And I am thinking that wall-to-wall carpeting is the way to go.


Are there any special concerns to address when installing carpeting, with a substantial pad, over concrete in a garage, where I suppose there might be a moisture concern on occasion?


Are there better pads or carpets that work to absorb sound?


---


I'm actually somewhat tempted to install low end oak flooring, 'cause the price is not that much different from putting in carpet, and using a giant area rug I have...


BUT....


the area rug wouldn't work once I get the riser in there for the second row.


So I'll probably stick with the carpeting. I KNOW I need the absorption of installed carpeting or a substantial area rug. I've experimented with a lot of different rooms and it definitely helps clear up the imaging and tone of audio playback.

 

[vitod]

I don't think it's a problem. The garage is on grade or slightly above so ground leaks shouldn't be a concern. I did the same thing and all is well.

 

[IHaveAMullet]

Just make sure you get a really good underlay...I've been in basements with crappy underlay or even worse was the old rubber back carpet - It was just too thin and you could really tell that there was concrete underneath. If you get a good underlay (7-8 lbs) you cant tell the difference from being upstairs or down (or in a garage in your case), plus a good underlay will add to the life and looks of your carpet. They don't do anything different for moisture concerns on concrete... they lay carpet just like on a wood floor.


I think that if you were planning on going with a wood floor over concrete, you would have more concerns regarding moisture, as wood floors are very sensitive to any changes in humidity.

 

[misterkit]

There is also a system that I have seen at HD. Its a plywood panel system with rubber feet that come in interlocking squares (2'x2' I believe). Its supposed to help prevent moisture build up and keep the floor a little warmer. Next time I am in there I will get the name for you.

 

[ND23]



Quote:
Originally Posted by misterkit /forum/post/0


There is also a system that I have seen at HD. Its a plywood panel system with rubber feet that come in interlocking squares (2'x2' I believe). Its supposed to help prevent moisture build up and keep the floor a little warmer. Next time I am in there I will get the name for you.

Name is DRICore .


Search in the Dedicated Theater Design & Construction forum for DRICore, and you'll learn all about it.


I had a moisture problem in late August 2006... next time I carpet a basement, I will use the Legato interlocking carpet squares that HD sells. If you do have an occasional moisture issue, you just peel them up and dry them out, then put them back down.


You might consider the Legato product for carpeting your garage.


HTH,

ND

 

[IHaveAMullet]



Quote:
Originally Posted by misterkit /forum/post/0


There is also a system that I have seen at HD. Its a plywood panel system with rubber feet that come in interlocking squares (2'x2' I believe). Its supposed to help prevent moisture build up and keep the floor a little warmer. Next time I am in there I will get the name for you.

Yeah, I think it's called dricore. It's funny how I dismiss having something like that because I don't think I need it and then totally forget about it. If you're worried at all about moisture or want to put hardwood in, this stuff is the ticket.

http://www.dricore.com/en/eindex.htm

 

[misterkit]

Yep, that was the stuff. Thanks!

Quote:
Originally Posted by IHaveAMullet /forum/post/0


Yeah, I think it's called dricore. It's funny how I dismiss having something like that because I don't think I need it and then totally forget about it. If you're worried at all about moisture or want to put hardwood in, this stuff is the ticket.

http://www.dricore.com/en/eindex.htm

 

[IHaveAMullet]



Quote:
Originally Posted by ND23 /forum/post/0


Name is DRICore .


Search in the Dedicated Theater Design & Construction forum for DRICore, and you'll learn all about it.


I had a moisture problem in late August 2006... next time I carpet a basement, I will use the Legato interlocking carpet squares that HD sells. If you do have an occasional moisture issue, you just peel them up and dry them out, then put them back down.


You might consider the Legato product for carpeting your garage.


HTH,

ND

I just saw that legato stuff this week at HD. Have you seen it installed? The only display I saw was a sealed plexiglass display that you could see how well the seams were hidden. What I was wondering was how it would look when walked on...

 

[ND23]



Quote:
Originally Posted by IHaveAMullet /forum/post/0


I just saw that legato stuff this week at HD. Have you seen it installed? The only display I saw was a sealed plexiglass display that you could see how well the seams were hidden. What I was wondering was how it would look when walked on...

I haven't seen a full room of it, but I saw a demonstration where a HD employee laid a few of them down, butted-up to one another, and then raked her hand across the fibers, then challenged onlookers to find the seam. It couldn't be seen.


It's slightly more expensive than traditional carpet-and-pad, but you can save on the carpet installation labor by doing it yourself. I wound up getting in on a deal at Lowe's for some really thick, plush carpet with free installation, but after getting water in my basement, and dealing with that, I wish I had the Legato product instead.


ND

 

[bcrawfo2]

Similar to Dricore is Delta-FL. Where Dricore comes in 2x2 squares of the rubber underlay and OSB, Delta-FL is the "rubber" underlay only comes in (I think) 5 foot wide rolls or 4x8 sheets. You then put tongue and groove plywood on top.

Delta-FL is about 50 cents per sq foot.

 

[nathan_h]

Dricore looks fascinating. I don't see it mentioned on the web site, but can one use the cleats to compensate for an uneven floor? I've got a few cracks in my concrete, and I was thinking I'd need to have it all taken out and re-poured, this time with re-bar.


But if I can do the dricore installation to compensate for the fact that it's not level, that would really justify spending the money on dricore, since it would save the $1900 I was quoted to remove the old concrete and lay 4 inches of new concrete, in this 17' x 17' space. I see that home depot sells the dricore cleats separately from the rest of the product line, so maybe there are different sized cleats, or one can alter the the sizes of them, or use multiple cleats or fewer cleats, depending on what is needed.


Actually, they aren't cleats so much as "levelling shims" so I'm guessing I can do what I am saying:

Quote:
DRIcore

Leveling Kits for 2 Ft. x 2 Ft. DRIcore Subfloor Panels


Model OLVKITUS000000

SKU 362671


For sloping or uneven sections of your floors, DRIcore leveling shims nest underneath DRIcore subfloor panels to quickly adjust the subfloor to the height needed to level the panel.



* Leveling Shims for DRIcore Subfloor Systems

* Height Adjustment for uneven Floors up to 1/4"

* For Sloping or uneven sections of your Floor

* Fits over the Cleats on the underside of DRIcore Subfloor Panels

 

[Kamull]

nathan_h,


Yes, I believe you are correct about the use of leveling shims. If I remember correctly, my husband just stacked them to acheive the desired level when necessary. We used the DriCore subfloor in the entire finished area of the basement and it was worth the extra cost. I have not had any issues with moisture to date- even with some heavy duty rainstorms, ice storms, etc. I also appreciate the added warmth and insulation the subfloor provides.

 

[nathan_h]

Excellent.


I'm not thrilled about the cost, and since my floor is not below ground (this is a garage) I might have less to worry about in terms of moisture, and this is California, so it doesn't get too cold (famous last words and crops all over the state are dying in sub-freezing temperatures)....


BUT


It might be half the cost of replacing the concrete, gives me something nicer to put carpet on, and probably has better sound qualities than carpeting directly on cement, since the floor will likely dissipate sound better.


And I could do it myself, at my own pace...

 

[SteelWill]

I have that Legato carpet in my basement HT. It's over concrete, and one of the big pluses with it is the thick padding that gives a lot of cushion and insulation. The seams do show up a bit as the fibers lay down, but vacuuming against the grain makes them virtually disappear. I'd recommend it if you wanted to maybe try to patch up your existing concrete and just lay carpet over it.

 

[hibbz]

We used the thickest pad avaialble and then a frizzay (sp) type of carpet. Cannot tell it is concrete underneath.

 

[nathan_h]

I'd be tempted to just carpet directly on the concrete, with a thick pad beneath it, of course, but the concrete is uneven, perhaps an inch higher in the middle than at the sides, in large measure because there is a large crack running through the middle of the garage. So I need something to help level it out, or I will probably need to pull out the old concrete and put in a fresh concrete floor. From what I see, the DriCore can handle the leveling out piece of the equation.

 

[Smarty-pants]

You can level out the existing concrete with "floor leveler". It comes in a mix like as if you were mixing up a bag of concrete. There are many different types/grades. For your application you'll want one of the better ones. Also, the better ones are kind-of self leveling. You mix it and pour it over the floor and spread it out. The cheaper stuff will likely crack and chip over time in the more thinner spots. The higher quality stuff should not. Check places like HD & Lowes, but even better a store that specializes in flooring supplies like floor tile. They would be able to get the "good stuff".


The only downside to this method is that there may still exist the possibility of the old concrete moving and cracking even more so...

The only way to avoid that possibility is to totally replace the whole slab.

 

[nathan_h]

Yeah, I wonder what caused the cracking in the first place.... but this solution is very tempting. I'm going to research it some more.

 

[hibbz]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Smarty-pants /forum/post/0


You can level out the existing concrete with "floor leveler". It comes in a mix like as if you were mixing up a bag of concrete. There are many different types/grades. For your application you'll want one of the better ones. Also, the better ones are kind-of self leveling. You mix it and pour it over the floor and spread it out. The cheaper stuff will likely crack and chip over time in the more thinner spots. The higher quality stuff should not. Check places like HD & Lowes, but even better a store that specializes in flooring supplies like floor tile. They would be able to get the "good stuff".


The only downside to this method is that there may still exist the possibility of the old concrete moving and cracking even more so...

The only way to avoid that possibility is to totally replace the whole slab.

how old is the house. I would suspect the crack is from the settleing of the house.


I see you live in Ohio so once it starts to crack and if you used it for cars and stuff I am sure moisture got in to the crack and froze in the the winter expanding the crack. I have a crack in my garage that I sealed up, it has not expanded in 3 years however if I didnt seal it I am sure it would have gotten bigger by parking the car in it and then all of the snow melting off and freezing in the crack. I would try patching it leveling it out and if your goingt to keep the room warm you should not have to worry about it anymore.

 

[Smarty-pants]

Moisture/water freezing and thawing is usually how it happens. However it can also be from the ground underneath the slab settling, then when a heavy vehicle puts pressure on it, it cracks. Moisture can get in the cracks and under the slab, freezing water expands then thaws creating voids under the slab. Any heavy weight on the slab would cause it to break and crack. Much better precautions are taken now to help prevent this form happening. Pack the dirt down very well, then add agerslag, then gravel, then rebar, then pour the concrete. Different hardeners can be added to the mix to help make it stronger, and of course the thicker the slab, the more stable it is. Of course also, adding more things underneath it and making it thicker, etc... they all keep adding to the cost.


Word to the wise guys, if you've got a nice concrete drive and you don't want it to crack... the top 3 major contributors to cracked driveways are UPS, FedEx, and DHL... and any other vehicles just as big or bigger.