Installing Solid Wood Flooring On A Concrete Slab

Can i install hardwood floors on a slab.

Installing solid wood flooring on a concrete slab.

When a concrete slab absorbs moisture it can retain it for a surprisingly long time. Using a minimum 5 8 cdx 3 4 recommended plywood the material is installed over the same moisture barriers mastic excluded but attached by way of concrete fasteners. It s essential to choose the best option from the available types of floors for your hardwood. Before installing any wood floor over concrete you ll need a moisture barrier.

Fortunately a variety of flooring materials are water resistant enough to function well over a concrete slab. Installing hardwood on concrete is not a do it yourself project. Add moisture barrier once the slab is dry cover it with a moisture barrier consisting of two layers of tar. Wood floor over concrete than over a wood subfloor.

Hardwood type there is no way to install standard 3 4 hardwood on concrete. Some of these reasons are. Layers of asphalt felt with asphalt mastic or 6 mil polyethylene sheathing are some of the choices. Plywood to the concrete.

The way you do this is to take a 6 or 10 foot straight edge and place it in various areas on the subfloor. Choose the best material. With solid hardwood floors a proper vapor retarder must be installed on top of the slab to make sure normal slab moisture does not reach the finished floor. Typically it is sheets of plastic laid on the slab and taped at the seams with waterproof tape.

It will extend up the wall for about 2 to 3 inches creating a bowl where your wood floor stays dry and protected. We install a hardwood floor on concrete using the direct stick method. If you are planning on installing any type of glue down hardwood floor product you must see the entire concrete surface and make sure that it is flat within 3 16 in a 10 foot radius or 1 8 within a 6 foot radius. You usually determine this.

But it s considerably more difficult to install a 3 4 in. The reason why is because there are many tricky things you ll need to consider. Watch this video to see how easy it is. Installing the wrong kind of flooring over consistently damp concrete may encourage warping and wear over time.

If you love solid wood floors and your home rests on a concrete slab you re not out of luck. They make the job quick and easy. Dry the slab before you prepare the concrete for hardwood flooring it must be dry. Things you ll need step 1.

Over the most recent thirty years the most popular method of installing solid 3 4 hardwood on concrete was a plywood subfloor attached to the slab illustration above. Wood planks to the plywood. You don t want to try and glue it down either. The floor clamps come in really handy.

Subfloors the national wood flooring association recommends two choices in sub flooring systems for concrete installations.