Finishing Our Basement With DRIcore Subfloor

We are finishing our basement! Among the rubble of renovating the other two floors of our new-to-use house, we are also going to tackle the basement at the same time!
We started our renovation with the subfloor. We used DRIcore subfloor to create a quick and easy subfloor that will keep moisture out and provide a cushioned surface to walk on.
Here are our tips and tricks!
This basement is ready for flooring - and it will be warmer, drier and a softer walking surface all because of putting down DRIcore first!
Here is the before. Helloooo dark-and-scary cave!
The first step before installing the subfloor is to sweep-sweep-sweep. You don't want any pebbles or rocks to create an uneven surface beneath the subfloor.
Gather your tools: you'll need a skill saw, a hammer, a tapping block, a tape measure, and a flat pry bar. We LOVED the flat pry bar!
Then you've got to measure. DRIcore panels have to be at least 3" in width, so you have to do some calculations to decide on your starting panel. You may have to cut it back so that your last piece isn't smaller than 3".
We found it easiest to bring the DRIcore down to the basement and cut it there. It made the job that much faster.
Start in a corner, and use the pry bar, hammer, and tapping block to get a snug fit. Head to the blog link below to get more details on the installation.
Cutting the panels was easy. Our little Ryobi circular saw cut through the material like butter!
We cut around corners...
... and door jambs.
When the floor was laid, we walked over it to find any bouncy spots where there were valleys in the concrete. We used a concrete drill to tap that part down. Again, head to the blog for more tips and tricks on tapping down your DRIcore.
Voila! Our subfloor is ready for the next step! And it only took two afternoons to lay our entire basement floor!
Tara @ Suburble
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Comments
Join the conversation
 3 comments
  • Hannah V Hannah V on Aug 28, 2014
    Wow looks like some seriously hard work! Go girl!
  • Sharon Sharon on Dec 14, 2019

    I live in a house built on a slab. I’m going to put hardwood floors in and I’m going to try the dricor

Next