QA

Question: How To Lay Wood Flooring On Concrete

Can you put wood flooring directly on concrete?

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.

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.

How do you attach wood to concrete without drilling?

Attaching wood with epoxy A common way to secure wooden items to concrete without drill is by using epoxy glue systems. This glue is specifically manufactured for these problems. Before opting for this method, you need to thoroughly clean off and dry the wood for them to bond correctly.

Can you glue 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.

What underlay is best for solid wood flooring?

A slotted underlay can be used with solid wood flooring or engineered wood flooring. Glue is applied into the slots of the underlay using a barrel gun which helps make the application quick and mess free. The wood flooring is then fixed on top and held to the subfloor by adhesive through the slots.

Do I need a subfloor over concrete?

If you don’t plan to use the space, there is no need for a subfloor or floor covering. Concrete or tile-over-concrete are acceptable floors for uninhabited basements. But to install any kind of floor covering—engineered wood, laminate, carpeting—basement subflooring is highly required.

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.

Can you put wood floors over stained concrete?

Remember that an installation is only as good as the sub floor. If there is a poorly bonded sub floor surface (e.g. paint, urethane, stain, etc.), it will not maintain a bond when the wood naturally expands and contracts. That’s true for any floor, stained or not.

Can you lay 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 I put a subfloor over concrete?

How to Install a Glued Subfloor Over Concrete. As with a floated subfloor, NWFA recommends a vapor retarder for glue-down subfloors when installing ¾” wood flooring over concrete. After installing a vapor retarder (if necessary), cut your plywood panels into 2’x8′ or 4’x4′ sections.

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 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.

Will no more nails stick wood to concrete?

UniBond No More Nails Original construction adhesive is a heavy-duty glue ideal for mounting and bonding, without the need for nails, screws or hassle. The multi-functional grab adhesive is suitable for most common building materials, e.g., wood, ceramic, metal, concrete, brick, plaster, stone and most plastics.

Will Liquid Nails hold wood to concrete?

The answer is yes. Liquid Nails construction adhesive will fasten wood to concrete as long as the conditions are right and you use the right type of Liquid Nails. I recommend using Heavy Duty Liquid Nails model LN-950 Polyurethane Adhesive. The hold is very strong and it’s easy to work with.

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.