Framing and Sub-Flooring - Current best science on a basement subfloor? Dricore...? Rigid...?
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Skoorb
10-19-09, 10:38 AM
From what I gather, a basement should be floored in either carpet or engineered hardwood. Laminate/Pergo does not allow breathing. The question is what to put this one. I know some put carpet right onto a mat or other thin layer, but despite the substantial cost and effort, a subfloor seems best.
I see two good options:
1) Dricore (http://www.dricore.com/en/pdf/CureforColdFeetFinal.pdf), which comes in 2X2' panels (About $7/pop). It provides some measure of insulation.
Drawbacks: a) If you get any flooding in contact with its top surface, it will be ruined. b) Per their recommendation, if your framing is placed on top of the floor, if you had to replace the flooring for any reason you would in fact also have to replace the walls! c) Dricore recommends grates in the floor to assist with airflow throughout the under-cavity. These could be a bit unsightly.
Positive: It's about 7/8" thick, so you don't lose too much ceiling height.
2) Rigid insulation, say 1" XPS placed directly on slab followed by two layers of plywood. First layer is tapcon-screwed into the slab through the foam, and second layer is screwed to the first.
Drawbacks: a) If you get any flooding, again the whole floor is potentially ruined. b) Same as dricore I see people putting the framing directly on top of this. I know that isn't strictly necessary, though (nor is it for the dricore), but if you did and had to replace flooring, you'd be redoing the walls, too. This flooring is about 1.5" thick. Price is same ballpark as above. Probably slower to install, too.
Positive: Probably warmer than dricore.
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Question: Can anybody speak to strength of these? Can either one of them tolerate a heavy weight-lifting set or will it excessively compress both of them?
Question: For a bathroom with a tiled floor, should that go on top of either of these? I presume so for insulation reasons...Still, a leak in that bathroom could be bad...?
I see two good options:
1) Dricore (http://www.dricore.com/en/pdf/CureforColdFeetFinal.pdf), which comes in 2X2' panels (About $7/pop). It provides some measure of insulation.
Drawbacks: a) If you get any flooding in contact with its top surface, it will be ruined. b) Per their recommendation, if your framing is placed on top of the floor, if you had to replace the flooring for any reason you would in fact also have to replace the walls! c) Dricore recommends grates in the floor to assist with airflow throughout the under-cavity. These could be a bit unsightly.
Positive: It's about 7/8" thick, so you don't lose too much ceiling height.
2) Rigid insulation, say 1" XPS placed directly on slab followed by two layers of plywood. First layer is tapcon-screwed into the slab through the foam, and second layer is screwed to the first.
Drawbacks: a) If you get any flooding, again the whole floor is potentially ruined. b) Same as dricore I see people putting the framing directly on top of this. I know that isn't strictly necessary, though (nor is it for the dricore), but if you did and had to replace flooring, you'd be redoing the walls, too. This flooring is about 1.5" thick. Price is same ballpark as above. Probably slower to install, too.
Positive: Probably warmer than dricore.
--------------
Question: Can anybody speak to strength of these? Can either one of them tolerate a heavy weight-lifting set or will it excessively compress both of them?
Question: For a bathroom with a tiled floor, should that go on top of either of these? I presume so for insulation reasons...Still, a leak in that bathroom could be bad...?
Skoorb
10-19-09, 11:47 AM
I just came across Ovrx's (http://www.ovrx.com/) Barricade system. Seems an interesting hybrid. 2X2' squares that consist of DOW rigid foam on the bottom. I think Lowes sells it but I certainly haven't seen it anywhere for sale.