anybody have experiance with DRI-CORE

[NICK BARBOZA]

I am moving my shop into the basement of my new house and after this most recent spell of rain, i noticed that the floor is damp in areas and more wet in others. i went to both Lowes and the cheapo Depot and they have a product call DRI-CORE. it is a 2'x2' OSB panel that has a plastic layer and small feet to isolate the OSB from the wet/moist concrete.

do any of you have experience with this product??? or other ideas??? i was also wondering if i should put a vapor barrier under it thoughts?

Thanks
Nick

[Rob Russell]

IMO, you need to eliminate the water from seeping in - not try to cover it up. If you cover it up, you'll get mold.

Check drainage around your house. If the water from your downspouts doesn't drain away from the house, deal with that as the cause of the problem.

[John D Watson]

Hey Nick, I put Dri Core in my basement 5 years ago now and it has held up well. No need for VB as the product is made with water proof glue and the tungue and groove fit well. It can be a pain to level and you need to make sure there are no leaks prior to installing. I had the water heater blow on me two years ago and the water all went straight under the Dri C to the drain. Its a good product.

[Travis Gauger]

I helped a good friend install dri-core in his basement and it was a breeze. Real easy to work with and very durable. We did the install over the winter and during the spring thaw, he had moisture come into the basement. The floors never got wet as the water stayed under the dri-core but by mid summer he had to rip it all out and have safetykleen come in to take care of the mold. Moral of the story is to make sure you repair any leaks first, not second.

[NICK BARBOZA]

I was planning on doing some other preventative measures to eliminate the water/dampness on the floors, among them was to check the downspouts and gutters, i was also considering digging a sump into the one corner of the shop to possibly tap the pressure under the slab so it wont need to wick up into the basement. is that a logical thought????


N

[Prashun Patel]

Fixing gutters and dspouts is an excellent idea.
Putting a sump at the low point of the basement is a good idea, but won't necessarily 'tap the pressure' like you say. For it to be very effective, it needs to have subslab drain tiles running to it. That's what relieves the pressure.

However, it will help for water seepage that's local to that quadrant of the basement.

I installed dri-core a year or 2 ago. Love it. It also makes yr floor warmer. The corrugated channels under the osb provide a path for water to flow, which stymies mold growth. However, I'd still use an air mover and some dehumidifiers if you ever DO get a minor flood.

There's a competing product: Subflor that doesn't feel as well made as the Dricore, IMHO.

If yr basement gets moisture, you shld really invest in some kind of dehumidification; your tools and wood will thank you.


It'd be nice if it were code to run wires between those channels. Would really simplify wiring.

[Bob Herpolsheimer]

Nick, I just picked up a plastic roll from Platon. It is the same type of plastic that Dricore puts on the osb. It comes in a roll that covers 175 square ft and it supports 1000 lbs per square foot and goes for about $55 per roll. You just need to put what ever type of flooring over it.

Bob

[Rob Russell]

Putting a sump at the low point of the basement is a good idea, but won't necessarily 'tap the pressure' like you say. For it to be very effective, it needs to have subslab drain tiles running to it. That's what relieves the pressure.

When I was a kid, we had floods in our basement all the time (house was built near a swamp and the underground water just seeped into the basement. My dad a bunch of guys from his company cut through the basement floor all around the perimeter of the basement and installed those drain tiles, running to a sump with pump. I remember it was a lot of work, but the basement was dry after that.

It'd be nice if it were code to run wires between those channels. Would really simplify wiring.

You can. Install conduit and pull individual conductors rated for wet locations (THWN).

[Matt Meiser]

I don't think you'd get conduit under the Dri Core without a pretty big bump in the floor .

[Prashun Patel]

I don't think you'd get conduit under the Dri Core without a pretty big bump in the floor .

How about UF cable? Isn't that intended for direct burial?

[Rob Russell]

How about UF cable? Isn't that intended for direct burial?

Yes, UF is intended for direct burial. Whether UF would be considered appropriate for installation under a floating floor where you have potential crushing loads and abrasion as the floor moves is a different story. That would definitely be something I'd ask the local AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction, aka the building inspector) about.

[Greg Just]

I put it in my basement before nailing a hardwood floor to it. The basement was noticably warmer. I considered using the plastic roll then OSB, but it is a PITA to get 4x8 sheets down the stairs. I got it on sale at Menards for about $5 for a 2x2 square. Well worth the added cost

[Don Middleton]

Hi Nick - I installed Dri-Core in my garage workshop back in 2006 and I'm extremely pleased with it. Aside from personal time invested in the project, it only cost about $1 per square foot. And, as others have indicated, it warms up the shop nicely as well as being very comfortable underfoot. There was an earlier thread on this topic: http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=29289

I can't really offer any advice on your moisture problem, but I'd personally be inclined to try and deal with that in advance of investing in the flooring. Good luck.

don

[Darryl Lunn]

I don't have any experiance with Dri-Core but when I did my basement I used OVRX (http://www.ovrx.com/). It is very similar as it's OSB tongue and groove in 2' pieces. The difference is that it has insulation on the underside. Easy product to install and makes the floor more comfortable to stand on.

Darryl

[Bill Nast]

Hi Nick,
A sump system is definetly the best route but you can cheat if it is hydrastatic pressure pushing the water in you can go to your floor drains and below the slab drill several 3/8" to 1/2" holes in the pipe the water will take the path of least resistance although this is not code in most municipalities it can work very well.
Bill