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		DO make sure there is no mould or moisture in your basement before you start work. You don’t want to trap in toxins. DON’T wear boxing gloves while you work.

Championship Home Gym Flooring

1. A good home gym requires a floor that is durable, moisture resistant and, most importantly, attractive. Brigitte installs laminate flooring over a DriCore base. This does everything and it provides a cushioning effect while she works on her boxing moves. Much better than plain painted cement!
   
2. DriCore is ideal for basement floors. It has plastic cleats that raise the panels off the floor, allowing moisture to pass underneath and dissipate. Brigitte just got rid of mould, she doesn’t want more! But, best of all, DriCore’s tongue-and-groove construction makes it very easy to install. (see fig. A)
   
   

   Fig. A		Fig. B

3. Make sure your floor is level before you start. If there are any dips, cracks or holes in your cement, fill them with quick cement, smooth it over and let dry thoroughly.
   
4. DriCore comes in 2 x 2 panels. Start in the corner, placing small spacers between the wall and the first panel. This allows room for expansion and contraction. The gap is covered with baseboard later so don’t worry about appearance. (see fig. B)
   
5. Put the next piece in position. Place a 2 x 4 against the edge of the panel and nudge it into place using a rubber mallet. This securely locks one panel into the next without damaging the tongues on the edge. (see fig. C)
   
6. Place all the panels for the first row.
   
   

   Fig. C		Fig. D

7. You want the joints in subsequent rows to be staggered for extra strength. You need to cut the first panel of the second row in half. This offsets the joints in the second row from those in the first.
   
8. Continue piecing together the floor until the entire area is covered. DriCore can be easily cut to fit unusual shapes. (see fig. D)
   
9. DriCore is attractive all on its own so you can stop right here if you want. But Brigitte wants a certain look for her home gym so she’s installing drywall and laminate flooring. If you want drywall as part of your project, that’s the next step.
   
10. Once your drywall is in place, you can start the next layer of flooring. Place a layer of foam underlay over the DriCore. Brigitte is not nailing or gluing her laminate so this underlay prevents the laminate floor from slipping. It also provides some extra cushioning and sound deadening. Work the foam underlay in small sections to prevent it from being rippled or torn. (see fig. E)
    
11. The laminate floor also has tongue-and-groove construction. (How easy is this?) Place the first panel in position leaving a small gap between the panel and the wall for expansion like you did with the DriCore. (see fig. F)
    
    

    Fig. E		Fig. F

12. Continue to run the first row of laminate panels along the wall, snapping the ends together.
    
13. When beginning the second row, the first piece should be cut in half so that the joints of the panels will be staggered for extra strength, like you did with the DriCore. This also just looks much better. (see fig. G)
    
14. You want to make sure that each panel is securely locked into position against the previous piece, leaving no gaps. Sometimes this requires a little gentle “persuasion.” Place a 2 x 4 against the outer lip of the panel to be fitted and gently hammer against the 2x4 until the pieces are securely locked together.
    
    

    Fig. G		Fig. H

15. Keep “snapping and locking” until the entire floor area is covered. The panels can be easily cut to fit in difficult corners and odd-shaped areas. Just be sure you cut the side that locks with the piece already laid.
    
16. Finish the edges with an attractive baseboard and you have a home gym floor that is a “contenda’” for a world championship title. (see fig. H)
    

Building Materials, and Sico paint BMR/Builders Warehouse 3636 Innes Rd. Orlean, ON K1C 1T1 p. 613-824-2702 Exercise equipment and location Fitness Depot 499 Industrial Ave. Ottawa, ON K1G 0Z1 p. 613-247-8888 DriCore flooring system DriCore

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