Installing Wood Floor Over Concrete Subfloor

As with a floated subfloor nwfa recommends a vapor retarder for glue down subfloors when installing wood flooring over concrete.

Installing wood floor over concrete subfloor.

Lay 6 mil polyethylene sheeting over the concrete to minimize moisture migration from the concrete up into the wood 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. But if you cover the uneven subfloor with self leveling compound before installing your wood flooring your new floor will be even and level. It will extend up the wall for about 2 to 3 inches creating a bowl where your wood floor stays dry and protected.

Follow these steps to install an engineered wood floor in your home. Learn how to install beautiful hardwood floors over a concrete slab. Before installing any wood floor over concrete you ll need a moisture barrier. A floating floor laminate or locking hardwood shouldn t be installed over a wood subfloor that s adhered to a concrete slab.

Experienced professionals pay close attention to managing moisture and minimizing wood floor expansion and contraction when preparing to install hardwood floors on concrete slabs. After installing a vapor retarder if necessary cut your plywood panels into 2 x8 or 4 x4 sections. Typically it is sheets of plastic laid on the slab and taped at the seams with waterproof tape. Get a comprehensive breakdown on which materials to use what to take into consideration and what steps to take for four subfloor systems.

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. It s safe to use self leveling compound on wood as. Treated plywood to the concrete with concrete screws spaced every 16 in. Floating for floated wood subfloors installed on grade and below grade be certain moisture control is taken into account.

If you are installing a locking or floating floor not attached to the subfloor just make sure that the subfloor is clean. Inspect the moisture level check the moisture level of the subflooring using a moisture meter. If you install wood flooring directly over an uneven subfloor your new wood floor will be uneven as well. The surface can t be slick heavily troweled or burnished.

This may be as simple as a 6 mil polyethylene plastic covering 100 percent of the concrete and brought up all walls then trimmed after the floor has been installed.