Basement Renovation: Where to start?
As most of you know, my house was built in the early 1960’s. I’ve shared a couple posts about how it needs some love: my kitchen needs a makeover and my 1960’s house needs an outdoor makeover. Well, unfortunately for me… this also applies to my completely unfinished basement. We have old windows throughout the basement, and we even have a toilet and shower in the middle of it! Oh yes, that’s right… a toilet and shower in the middle of my basement with no walls around them!! GAWWWW!! Seriously!?! But, that’s a whole other post (which I’m certain you’re looking forward to! haha).
Sébastien and I have been wanting to finish the basement ever since we moved in years ago. But like the mature adults we are, we decided to concentrate on our main floor (but yet we did nothing there either! haha). It’s the thought that counts, rights?! You better say yes! Anyways, the thought of how to start renovating the basement was overwhelming. How do we frame the walls? Do we apply something to the walls before framing? At what point do we put the insulation? Wait, should we start with the flooring? What about a vapor barrier? Do we need special wood to do the frame? Maybe we should change the windows first? Questions after questions…. made us more and more overwhelmed… until we heard about DRIcore Products.
I was on Twitter one evening and came across a Tweet from Storefront Life talking about her basement renovation using products from DRIcore. I can’t quite remember what her tweet said but it mentioned something about a DRIcore SMARTWALL. I clicked… and I was in HEAVEN! Products made specifically to finish a basement!!
DRIcore Products is a Canadian manufacturer specializing in basement finishing solutions. Their products are sold throughout Canada and the U.S. Their products include DRIcore SMARTWALL, DRIcore Subfloor, and DRIcore Subfloor R+.
DRIcore SMARTWALL
DRIcore SMARTWALL is an all-in-one basement wall system that dramatically decreases basement finishing time. SMARTWALL allows you to finish your basement 5x faster than traditional methods. Why, you ask? Oh because this amazing product combines framing, insulation, drywall, and a vapour barrier all in one! Truly a SMARTWALL! Each panel is 2 foot x 8 foot and weighs 30 lbs.
Distinct features include:
– integrated wire channels (two vertical and three horizontal)
– patented micro bevel edge (no need to tape and mud)
– tongue and groove systems that allows panels to easily lock together
DRIcore Subfloor
DRIcore Subfloor is an easy-to-install subfloor system designed for basements. The panels are equipped with air gap technology to protect, insulate, and cushion finished floors. They have OSB top and polyethylene bottom. It also has an R-value of 1.7 and can increase the temperature of a finished floor to 3.2°C (6˚F). DRIcore Subfloor allows concrete to breathe, which reduces the potential for mold and mildew. Each panel is 2 foot x 2 foot and weighs 7.5lbs.
DRIcore Subfloor R+
DRIcore Subfloor R+ is an innovative, new insulated subfloor panel system that can be completed with a finished floor or can be left as is with a few coats of polyurethane. It has an R-value of 3, which means that it will significantly improve the warmth and comfort of a basement. It can increase the temperature of finished floors by up to 5.6°C (10.6°F). Each panel is 2 foot x 2 foot and weighs 6.5lbs.
I bet now you know why I’m so excited about DRIcore Products!
It’s the PERFECT solution to finishing my basement! Everything I need to renovate my basement are in those products. LOVE!
We will start the renovation of our basement in a few weeks. I can’t wait to start and share it with you! Stay tuned!
Want to know more about DRIcore Products and get tips on basement renovations?
Make sure to check out their website: DRIcore Products
DRIcore Products is also on Facebook and Twitter.
Follow along: #DRIcorespondents
Is your basement finished, partial finished, or completely unfinished like mine? Or perhaps in need of a renovation?
Have a fabulous day!
Disclosure: I’m a very happy DRIcorespondent. A big THANK YOU to DRIcore Products for supplying me with their products. As always, all opinions in this post are 100% my own.
My basement is not finished at all! I’m so excited to be working with Dricore as my kids need a space to run around and I need my living room toy free again! We have our subfloor down and wow it is made so much of a difference!
What a fabulous idea! It would certainly make the task a lot easier. Less dust and dirt, wood etc around. We have a section to finish in our basement so I will have a peek into this!
That is super cool! We don’t have a basement..womp, womp. WIth a teenager? Oh, how I wish!
What cool products. I’ve never seen anything like those but think they would be perfect for a basement. I can’t wait to see what your renovation looks like.
I’ve never heard of this! It would have been awesome when we were trying to finish our basement with a 6mo, 1y and 3yr old in the house! so much faster!
This looks so interesting. We are in the beginning stages of finishing our basement. I can’t wait to share this product with my husband. :)
What a smart product! I can;t wait to see what you do with it.
Pretty interesting materials for renovating a room. It really made me think that it truly pays to be well educated about how to start out your renovation and being knowledgeable about the materials that you could use. In such a way you do not only save time, but your money as well. I am just so glad to have come across this page.