Installing hardwood flooring over concrete.
Laying solid hardwood flooring on concrete.
For starters while you can consider solid hardwood for at and above grade installations only engineered flooring with its plywoodlike construction is suitable below.
The first element to consider is moisture.
Treated plywood to the concrete with concrete screws spaced every 16 in.
Most manufacturers advise against installing hardwood flooring over concrete for two reasons moisture levels in concrete and the difficulty of attaching directly to concrete.
So i asked our great guys over at tech install to give us some ideas on how to install 3 4 solid bellawood over concrete.
Floating plywood subfloor system.
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.
Concrete should be clean and level up to 1 8.
When you are laying a solid timber floor it is best to lay it using a fixed method as opposed to floating commonly used for engineered boards.
Solid wood flooring is made from one single piece of wood and can be highly sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity as this can cause the wood to expand and contract.
How to lay solid wood flooring over a concrete subfloor.
When it comes to installing a floating solid hardwood floor in your basement easiklip should be your first choice.
This is because solid wood flooring has a higher tendency towards movement and needs to be fixed to the subfloor to avoid problems in the future.
Alternatively screw rows of treated 1x4s to the concrete 16 in.
The first consideration you will need to make is how you are going to attach your planks to the floor.
Laying a solid hardwood strip floor is easier and faster if you choose a prefinished product to avoid the extra work of sanding staining and finishing.
Apply a 6mil mil poly sheeting over the concrete overlapping the seams 6 inches and tape with duct tape.
Read manufacturer s directions before installation to maintain warranty coverage.
Lay 6 mil polyethylene sheeting over the concrete to minimize moisture migration from the concrete up into the wood flooring.
Selecting a flooring to place over concrete slabs begins with addressing some of the most common challenges concrete floors present.
Hardwood floors are durable low maintenance and easy to clean.