Can Hardwood Floors Be Installed Over Concrete Slab

Many types of flooring can be installed over a concrete sub floor.

Can hardwood floors be installed over concrete slab.

The floor is secured via the base molding around the edges. For starters while you can consider solid hardwood for at and above grade installations only engineered flooring with its plywoodlike construction is suitable below. Treated plywood to the concrete with concrete screws spaced every 16 in. The slab can be tested to check the moisture levels and determine whether there is too much moisture to install the subfloor.

When a concrete slab absorbs moisture it can retain it for a surprisingly long time. Glue down engineered hardwoods can be glued note. Once you ve made up your mind about installing a hardwood floor over your concrete slab you need to put some thought into it. The concrete slab needs to be dry before any flooring can be installed.

Laminate flooring is also fairly easy to install. Installing hardwood on concrete is not a do it yourself project. Lay 6 mil polyethylene sheeting over the concrete to minimize moisture migration from the concrete up into the wood flooring. The fact that your home is built on a concrete slabs does not preclude installing hardwood floors but several considerations apply not least of which is subfloor preparation.

Alternatively screw rows of treated 1x4s to the concrete 16 in. 1 nail down requires plywood sub flloor you can t nail into concrete last i checked 2. Installing hardwood floors over concrete slab before you make any decision on flooring the first thing you need to do is contact an experienced professional. Read manufacturer s directions before installation to maintain warranty coverage.

Cost skill level start to finish 2 days. Fortunately a variety of flooring materials are water resistant enough to function well over a concrete slab. However many homeowners are disappointed to discover that solid wood flooring cannot be installed on a concrete slab. Deciding factors before installing hardwood flooring over concrete.

Laminate flooring is a good alternative to wood flooring in basements. 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. Too much humidity is most likely to be a problem for a newly installed slab but it could also be an issue for existing slabs too. Float this is when the hardwood is clicked into each other or glued at joints but is not attached to the floor.

Hardwood floors are durable low maintenance and easy to clean. Proper planning will save money time and minimize mistakes. Before you run out and order a hardwood floor there are several items you need know. Solid hardwood can not be glued except for bamboo 3.