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Can hardwood flooring be installed on concrete slab?
If you have a concrete slab main floor or basement, you may be wondering if it’s possible to install hardwood flooring directly on top of the concrete. The short answer is yes.
Do you need underlay for solid wood flooring on concrete?
It is important to mention that you do not need a wood floor underlay when you have a solid hardwood floor and that’s because it is not stable, hence it has to be installed mechanically to the concrete subfloor.
What do you put under hardwood floors on concrete?
Layers of asphalt felt with asphalt mastic or 6 mil polyethylene sheathing are some of the choices. The National Wood Flooring Association recommends two choices in sub-flooring systems for concrete installations: plywood-on-slab and sleeper.
Can I glue down solid hardwood to concrete?
When gluing a solid or engineered wood floor down to concrete, you should use a flexible flooring adhesive. This allows your flooring to expand and contract naturally without causing any damage to the planks.
Do I need a vapor barrier between concrete and wood flooring?
Do I need a vapor barrier for hardwood floors?” The answer is YES! Moisture can destroy hardwood flooring. It causes cupping, warping, and even mildew if not treated. You must install a moisture barrier to protect your flooring from water wicking up from below.
Can you float a hardwood floor over concrete?
You can float a hardwood floor over concrete as long as special attention is paid to the unique challenges and aspects of each type of flooring. The most common and recommended flooring for covering concrete is engineered hardwood.
Do you need to glue hardwood flooring?
There is no need to glue the planks together as they are fully bonded to the subfloor. Flooring straps can also be used to hold the boards into place to ensure they do not move around while the glue is drying.
What flooring can you put over concrete?
Like other flooring materials that work well over concrete slabs, laminate uses layers to fight moisture. This makes it a reliable option to install over your concrete slab. If you plan to transform your basement into a high traffic area for entertaining and relaxing, laminate could be a great option.
Why is my wood floor peeling?
Floor finishes peel because the floor was contaminated or improperly prepped when the finish was applied. Excessive sanding with high-grit paper can burnish wood and create a surface too smooth for the finish to adhere. Simply abrading the floor and applying a new top coat might not fix the problem.
What should I put between wood and concrete?
Anyplace where wood meets the ground or concrete, the lumber must be pressure treated. For additional moisture protection, a gasket or strip of closed-cell foam can be installed between the concrete foundation and the sill plate.
Can you put wood directly on concrete?
YES. Any exterior concrete that is in contact with earth may wick moisture. Thus, it is required to place pressure treated wood directly against the concrete if one wishes next to build off that concrete with untreated wood.
What is the recommended underlayment for hardwood flooring?
What Underlayment is Best for Wood? When installing hardwood or engineered wood flooring, the best underlay options are cork and foam. However, foam does have more give than cork so, while it is the more popular option, we recommend cork. Cork has less give, making it less likely to flex underneath your planks.
Is it better to glue or float hardwood floors?
Glue-down floors are better for rooms with heavy load and foot traffic because they’re more stable. On the other hand, floating floors have more room for warping and buckling that are triggered by changing temperature and moisture levels in the room.
Can you lay engineered hardwood over concrete?
Engineered hardwood can be installed on concrete using the glue-down installation method. We recommend using an acrylic or urethane wood adhesive, such as Bostik Pro-Cure or East Bay Clipper. Before installing any flooring you must follow the instructions set forth by the flooring manufacturer.
Can you put a floating floor on concrete?
Laminate flooring can be installed over concrete, wood or carpet subfloor or other surfaces. Installation of good quality underlayment is highly recommended. Installing underlayment is easy but it has to be done precise to avoid any tears.
Can you put floorboards on concrete slab?
When adhering flooring on to concrete slabs, they must be clean, dry, sound and flat. In most instances, a moisture vapour barrier will be used and if not, slab moisture must be assessed and acceptability determined. When floating floors are laid over subfloor spaces, they too must be dry and are to remain dry.
Can 3/4 hardwood be glued down?
No, 3/4 solid Hardwood flooring can expand and contract more than engineered wood flooring. I would not suggest direct gluing down any 3/4-inch thick solid Hardwood flooring to any surface, the adhesive bond might not allow the solid wood flooring to move or breath normally and can cause the wood flooring to distort.
Should hardwood floors be glued and nailed?
We recommend and encourage a glue assist for all nailed down floors, especially if you are nailing down a thin floor, a solid or engineered floor that is 5” or wider, or one installed in an environment with moisture swings. These types of floors are more likely to have problems with squeaks.
Can you use Liquid Nails for hardwood floors?
Apply a 1/4 –inch continuous line (bead) of construction adhesive such as LIQUID NAILS® Subfloor and Deck Construction Adhesive (LN-902) along joists before laying your chosen flooring. When laying hard floors, you will need to apply the adhesive as you work across the floor, one board at a time.
