Installing Hardwood Over Concrete Subfloor

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.

Installing hardwood over concrete subfloor.

Follow these steps to install an engineered wood floor in your home. Experienced professionals pay close attention to managing moisture and minimizing wood floor expansion and contraction when preparing to install hardwood floors on concrete slabs. Snap the chalk line over the top of the concrete or moisture barrier between the marks on opposite walls making a cross in the center of the room. Once you ve made up your mind about installing a hardwood floor over your concrete slab you need to put some thought into it.

Different methods may be necessary depending on the subfloor system and or the flooring being installed. After installing a vapor retarder if necessary cut your plywood panels into 2 x8 or 4 x4 sections. Learn how to prepare a concrete subfloor for installing hardwood or laminate 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.

Proper planning will save money time and minimize mistakes. The floor is secured via the base molding around the edges. Get a comprehensive breakdown on which materials to use what to take into consideration and what steps to take for four subfloor systems. Solid hardwood can not be glued except for bamboo 3.

Float this is when the hardwood is clicked into each other or glued at joints but is not attached to the floor. Installing plywood over the subfloor or using sleepers which are two by fours laid flat across the floor and used as nailers. Because it raises the finished floor by an extra 1 1 2 inches and for other reasons the sleeper method has fallen into disuse. As with a floated subfloor nwfa recommends a vapor retarder for glue down subfloors when installing wood flooring over concrete.

For a concrete subfloor you should install the plank with the sight lines of the floor. Glue down engineered hardwoods can be glued note. Learn how to install beautiful hardwood floors over a concrete slab. 1 nail down requires plywood sub flloor you can t nail into concrete last i checked 2.

Deciding factors before installing hardwood flooring over concrete.