Installing a hardwood floor over a concrete slab.
Why can t you put hardwood on concrete.
Once you ve made up your mind about installing a hardwood floor over your concrete slab you need to put some thought into it.
When you install hardwood floors concrete is one of the best bases to work from there are only a few steps to take.
This is the more common than you may think and this is moisture will seeping up through concrete in the form of vapor.
You don t want to try and glue it down either.
Hardwood type there is no way to install standard 3 4 hardwood on concrete.
If you can t get a pry bar into the scored crevice start with a flat edged tool like a spackle knife to work the baseboard loose then try the pry bar.
1 nail down requires plywood sub flloor you can t nail into concrete last i checked 2.
Even if there is no.
Float this is when the hardwood is clicked into each other or glued at joints but is not attached to the floor.
Experienced professionals pay close attention to managing moisture and minimizing wood floor expansion and contraction when preparing to install hardwood floors on concrete slabs.
This can mean groundwater relentlessly pressing against foundation walls and forcing its way through cracks.
Proper planning will save money time and minimize mistakes.
Even if your home was built on a concrete slab you can still enjoy the beauty and charm of hardwood floors.
Whether you re planning on renting out your home or looking to increase its value using concrete as a base is a great idea.
Before you run out and order a hardwood floor there are several items you need know.
Deciding factors before installing hardwood flooring over concrete.
Installing hardwood flooring over concrete.
The concrete slab needs to be completely cured and moisture free before you can install hardwood on top.
Even 1 8 inch of water is still enough to flood solid hardwood and ruin it.
Glue down engineered hardwoods can be glued note.
With solid hardwood being ruled out because of the adverse effect it has with high moisture content a safer alternative is an engineered strip floor that can be glued to the concrete providing all concerns with moisture are addressed.
Wear a mask and.
Several prefinished flooring manufacturers offer an engineered 2 strip product.
If the slab is new don t even begin moisture testing until 30 days after pouring it it probably won t be ready to be covered until 60 days after.
Follow these steps with care to safely complete the installation yourself.
You usually determine this with a meter that compares the relative humidity of the slab with the ambient humidity.
Since humidity causes natural wood to expand and contract your flooring won t be able to move.
You can rent a concrete grinder from a rental store.
Before you prepare the concrete for hardwood flooring it must be dry.
Hardwood floors are durable low maintenance and easy to clean.