This subject has been discussed many times already, but every time we meet a new client we find that it comes up again – Proper Way to Finish a Basement. First of all, once your basement renovation is complete, it needs to remain dry and moisture free. The rule is, if your foundation walls are properly waterproof and your draining tile around foundation walls installed & work properly, it should prevent the water from coming inside your basement.
Second raw of defence would be your subfloor. Truly, subfloor is the difference between a cold and damp basement and a basement that is pleasant to be in. Subfloor make a huge difference in how your feet feel when you walk on a basement floor. Wether you have a carpet floor or laminate or engineered hardwood, subfloor is what make a difference.
There are many choices when it comes to subfloor, most of you have see a product called “Dricore”. It is available at your local hardware store and it is an excellent option for subfloor. However, it is a little pricy and not as sturdy as a combination of Platon water membrane, glued to OSB sheets and screwed to a basement concrete floors with
Tapcon screws. This is the ultimate subfloor system that provides the most durable and effective ways to protect a basement flooring from moisture and cold seeping thru the basement concrete floor.
Once installed properly, the subfloor will have an air gap between a membrane and concrete floor that will allow for any moisture or water to escape should it ever find it’s way into your basement and with moisture and water out of the way we can now build our 2 by walls without a concern of water damage to them.
Our Next Step is to properly insulate our exterior walls and off to a finish stages. Read More about Basement Wall Insulation in our next article