Our Basement Journey with DRIcore Part 4!

 Hi friends!  Welcome back to our basement journey!

So remember this?

This is our basement before we dove into our renovation process.  Just a lot of unfinished mess.

We started our basement renovation by first installing the DRIcore subfloor.  DRIcore® is a one-step engineered subfloor solution that is specifically designed for basements.  It’s meant to be laid over the concrete to insulate and create cushioned floors.  And once they’re laid, and the rest of your basement is ready, you can lay down hardwood, laminate or carpet on top of it.  Even with this initial install of the subfloor, our basement was already feeling comfortable and un-basement like!

The next step we took was the installation of the DRIcore SMARTWALL panel system.  DRIcore SMARTWALL is a product that combines framing, insulation, drywall and a vapour barrier into a R16 high performance wall panel. In one easy step you lock the tongue and groove panels together to form finished walls.  Things are really coming together now!

The last step we had to complete in the process was to finish the panels with DRIcore SMARTWALL Patch Pro.  All SMARTWALL panels come with micro-beveled edges which eliminates the need for traditional taping and mudding.  Instead, you simply apply the DRIcore SMARTWALL Patch Pro to the seams and sand them.

The Patch Pro is easy to apply, it’s paintable, and crack resistant.  Using the Patch Pro results in far less sanding and therefore less dust and mess!  It also speeds up the process of the drywall finishing, reducing to a single day what would normally be 3 to 4 days of much more intense work.

So after the Patch Pro has been applied and sanded, the panels are ready to be painted.  Yes.  The SMARTWALLS are now ready to paint!

But we’re not ready for painting yet.  Now that the DRIcore subfloor and SMARTWALL panels are up, we are moving on to the next phase of our basement renovation, which is internal framing, the ceiling and all the finishings.  But with all the hard work already completed, we’re ready to tackle the rest!

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The DRIcore subfloor and SMARTWALL installation process has been a great experience.  It has been relatively easy, and has taken a lot less time to do than we ever imagined.  Even if we weren’t going to complete out basement renovation, our basement as it is right now is great.  It feels clean, warm and liveable already!

TIPS & TIDBITS WE LEARNED WHILE INSTALLING DRIcore SMARTWALL Patch Pro:

• When installing the SMARTWALL make sure the panels are aligned and the grooves are matched up as best as possible.  This makes the Patch Pro sanding process go so much smoother!
• Apply the strip of Patch Pro to match the width of your sanding block, so you are not sanding off the actual SMARTWALL.
• Get a pole sander.  This makes sanding the Patch Pro so easy!

If you are interested in our basement renovation series here are the posts:

• Installing the DRIcore subfloor with tips, tricks and hands-on experience!
• Installing the SMARTWALL panels with tips, tricks and hands-on experience!

Also, if you want to know more about the DRIcore subfloor and SMARTWALL panels, visit the DRIcore website, or visit them on Facebook for more tips and exclusive promotions!