Installing Wood Floor Over Concrete Subfloor

A floating floor laminate or locking hardwood shouldn t be installed over a wood subfloor that s adhered to a concrete slab.

Installing wood floor over concrete subfloor.

If you are installing a locking or floating floor not attached to the subfloor just make sure that the subfloor is clean. This may be as simple as a 6 mil polyethylene plastic covering 100 percent of the concrete and brought up all walls then trimmed after the floor has been installed. Alternatively screw rows of treated 1x4s to the concrete 16 in. The surface can t be slick heavily troweled or burnished.

Treated plywood to the concrete with concrete screws spaced every 16 in. Lay 6 mil polyethylene sheeting over the concrete to minimize moisture migration from the concrete up into the wood flooring. Installing a hardwood floor over a concrete slab even if your home was built on a concrete slab you can still enjoy the beauty and charm of hardwood floors. As with a floated subfloor nwfa recommends a vapor retarder for glue down subfloors when installing wood flooring over concrete.

Experienced professionals pay close attention to managing moisture and minimizing wood floor expansion and contraction when preparing to install hardwood floors on concrete slabs. Learn how to install beautiful hardwood floors over a concrete slab. How to install engineered wood over concrete engineered wood flooring offers the timeless look of hardwood but is perfect for basements and other areas where moisture can be an issue. Get a comprehensive breakdown on which materials to use what to take into consideration and what steps to take for four subfloor systems.

Inspect the moisture level check the moisture level of the subflooring using a moisture meter. Typically it is sheets of plastic laid on the slab and taped at the seams with waterproof tape. It s safe to use self leveling compound on wood as. Follow these steps to install an engineered wood floor in your home.

Floated subfloor alternate subfloor glue down sub floor and the nail down subfloor system. Before installing any wood floor over concrete you ll need a moisture barrier. It will extend up the wall for about 2 to 3 inches creating a bowl where your wood floor stays dry and protected. Floating for floated wood subfloors installed on grade and below grade be certain moisture control is taken into account.

If you install wood flooring directly over an uneven subfloor your new wood floor will be uneven as well.