- Finishing a basement is
one of the most popular home improvement projects going. And it's easy to understand why. There's no simpler and more efficient way to add living space to your home. And there's nothing quite
like a bright, cozy, comfortable basement to
improve your lifestyle. The trouble is in my
experience, traditional basement finishing systems that
use stud frame walls, fiber insulation, and vapor
barriers can cause problems. They can set the stage
for a hidden mold growth, poor energy performance and
even low indoor air quality throughout the rest of your home. Now it's true, not every basement
finished in the usual way is gonna result in these
problems, but why take the chance? Even many contractors don't realize how inefficient and risky
it is to finish basements the way it's always been
done with stud frame walls. And that's where I hope
this video can help. It covers the information I
wish distressed homeowners had had before they
finished their basements in the usual way with stud frame walls and carpet and underlay applied
directly to concrete floors. It's all about a faster,
easier way to create a durable, energy efficient, finished basement space using a system that I
find very impressive. So let me show you exactly
why I like this approach. Then you can decide for
yourself if it makes sense for your basement finishing project. The main problem with fiber
insulated stud frame walls in basements is that they're
so vulnerable to water. That could either be liquid
water or water vapor. In fact, it's not unusual
for insulation to get damp and sometimes even wet, and
that's just like sealing a used bath towel in a plastic bag. Mold and mildew are inevitable
in situations like that. Even seemingly dry basements
can allow water vapor to pass through masonry
foundation walls collecting inside sealed stud frame wall
cavities during warm weather. And carpet on a concrete floor is definitely not much better either. Besides being hard and cold
on your feet during winter, carpet and underlay applied
directly to a concrete floor can encourage condensation
during humid summer weather. For 25 years, I've helped
homeowners deal with cold, musty finished basement spaces. And there's no question
in my mind that we need to finish basements
differently than we do now. And from what I've seen, foam wall systems and engineered subfloor
systems offer the best approach for creating warm, comfortable,
durable, basement spaces. The DRICORE SMARTWALL and
subfloor system that you see here is one option that impresses me. It not only delivers
excellent energy performance, but it goes up much more quickly than traditional basement
finishing methods. The DRICORE installation process begins with two-by-two foot
subfloor tiles that interlock on top of concrete floors. Now bonded to the underside of these tiles are high density, textured plastic layers that creates an airspace
above the concrete. This makes for a warm, dry,
condensation proof arrangement that sits on top of any
kind of concrete floor, carpet, laminate, hardwood
flooring, vinyl, ceramic tiles, even stone can be applied on top. Or you can leave panels bare if you like. Besides providing air space,
the black plastic membrane allows a small amount of
leaked water to drain away harmlessly if need be. Subfloor tiles like these can
be cut with any conventional table saw, jigsaw, or a
handheld circular saw. Then a mallet is used to tap
the tiles so the interlocking tongue and groove edges come together. The DRICORE SMARTWALL
system replaces studs and fiber insulation and goes
up on top of the subfloor that's already gone down. It's made of 3 1/2 inch thick
expanded polystyrene foam with interlocking OSB
edges and half inch drywall factory bonded to the
interior face of the panels. Wall panels like these deliver
R16 of insulating value. And they're also highly
resistant to moisture because they contain no
sealed wall cavities. And if your foundation
is out of line or wonky, that's not an issue
because the DRICORE panels never touch the foundation wall at all. Two-by-two lumber fastened
to the subfloor at the bottom and the joists up at the basement ceiling provide anchor points for the panels so the wonky, wavy shape that's so common in foundation walls doesn't show through on your finished basement walls. Special DRICORE panels
are available with cutouts for electrical boxes for light
switches and plug outlets and precut channels in the
foam allow wires to be strung through the panels either during
installation or afterwards. Ready to install components
are available for completing the outside corners and the
factory bonded half-inch drywall acts as its its own vapor barrier
when the joints are filled and the whole surface is painted. Besides offering a fast and
simple installation process, panel and subfloor systems offer excellent energy performance,
and they're not vulnerable in the same way that stud frame walls are. Just be prepared to buck a
lot of well meaning advice from some professionals
who don't yet realize that when it comes to basement finishing, new methods like these
make a whole lot of sense. (cheerful music)
