Dricore is a decent basement sub-floor system. There are certainly merits to allowing good air flow under their flooring system. However, what they are neglecting to tell you is how much water vapor is stored inside concrete. You see concrete is like a huge sponge, millions of micro pores throughout that are filled with water. Throughout the seasons the water vapor migrates in and out of the concrete. As that happens it can cause serious issues behind drywall. When you paint drywall you are creating a vapor semi-permeable surface that has a hard time with letting out moisture.

I don’t have experience with Comfort Therm, however, I would NEVER recommend any type of fiberglass insulation product up against a foundation wall even wrapped in plastic. The small perforations in my opinion can let water into the “bag” and cause problems. Now, if you installed this after installing a 1-1/2″ layer of XPS foam I’d have no issue with it. You should read some of my other basement insulation articles including: How To Insulate Basement Walls

If it were my home…..I’d stop where you’re at, move the walls forward enough to get the proper foam back there, then stand the walls back up. You’ll be glad you did years down the road.

My last comment was sent before completion, sorry – did you get the first half?

To recap:
I have already passed framing inspection and have insulated the storage room. I used a system I found on the Dricore website.
I installed a Dricore floor 1/4″ from the foundation walls and then installed the framed walls on top of the Dricore. No need for a treated kick plate as the Dricore protects it. Less anchor screws into the slab as you can use the Dricore floor to help hold the walls in place. The walls are 1 1/2″ from the foundation walls. This leaves an air-flow system where air can run around the walls and under the floor leaving the walls in a similar temperature zone to the whole basement. Dricore says you can even cut holes in the floor for registers to provide more air flow.

My home is around 10 yrs old and has a poured foundation and the builder painted the basement walls and floor. I have never had moisture on the walls. With this circulation system do you think moisture will still start after the dry wall goes on?

I was also discussing “comfort therm” by Johns Manville, which I have started to use. It is insulation wrapped in plastic where the warm side is a plastic vapor barrier and the backside is also plastic with perforated holes that allow the insulation to breathe and dry. The manufacture says that the insulation is for basement use. Given this along with the air flow system do you think I am ok regarding mold? I know your system is better as your way eliminates moisture all together, but as I have already framed the walls will my system work?

If I had it to do over, I would not use this system as I would rather not allow any moisture to form. Also, Dricore is an imperfect product. Its great for warming the floor but if any small amount of water gets under the floor the panels are that well protected, the plastic feet do allow drainage but the tongue and groove seams are not protected and water is wicked up at all the joints. Plus if ever get a lot of water in the basement and need to remove the floor its going to be very difficult with the walls on top of it. Live and learn.

My questions are:

1) Do you have any experience with Comfort Therm regarding its ability to better resist mold.

2) With the Dricore circulation system, Comfort Therm insulation, painted walls, do you think there is any merit to this system?

3) If not, do you think its possible to still get form panel behind the already installed 2 x 4s that have an air gap of 1 1/2″ ?

4) Most the walls have a 1 1/2″ gap from the foundation wall but one wall has a 5″ gap due to a drain pipe running on the ceiling. If I install 2′ form panel there will still be a 3″ air gape between the form panel and the insulation – is that too much?

Thanks.
John

Do you think that closed cell foam would work better then open cell foam? They can do either one but they claim that they usually use the open cell foam in that situation. They said they would use closed cell foam if the vapor barrier was not behind the studs. They said the closed cell foam is harder and more brittle.

Thanks,
Richard