Installing Hardwood Floors Over Concrete Home Tips

It will extend up the wall for about 2 to 3 inches creating a bowl where your wood floor stays dry and protected.

Installing hardwood floors over concrete home tips.

Store hardwood flooring in the room so it can acclimate to the room s humidity. Engineered wood flooring can be installed below grade. When you are installing a moisture barrier you want to make sure that there are no gaps and that the entire floor is covered. Tap 1 4 inch shims in between the edges of the floor and the wall to leave room for expansion image 3.

The secret behind a successful install over concrete is to focus on five key areas. Engineered hardwood will improve the value of your home. Laminate will cost less. Before installing any wood floor over concrete you ll need a moisture barrier.

Put one 1 2 inch spacer against each wall and slide the end of the board up. This comes in a roll that you can unroll over the floor. The following is a guide to help alleviate any concerns or worries about installing hardwood floors over concrete. Typically it is sheets of plastic laid on the slab and taped at the seams with waterproof tape.

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. Tape seams together with painter s tape image 2. Read on for in depth details on these five key areas. Before you can install over a concrete subfloor you are going to need to put in a moisture barrier.

Experienced professionals pay close attention to managing moisture and minimizing wood floor expansion and contraction when preparing to install hardwood floors on concrete slabs. You can install either an engineered hardwood floor this is real hardwood done in layers or a laminate floor this is fake floor that looks like hardwood on top of cement. Condition of slab type of concrete location of slab flatness and moisture. Watch this video to see how easy it is.

When the adhesive requires add a moisture control system before applying the adhesive. Installing solid hardwood flooring in a basement that is below grade generally voids the warranty so if you really want the look of hardwood there choose engineered over solid planks. Stagger end joints from row to row. The slab should be at least 60 days old dry flat have a trowel finish and be free of high or low spots.

Use 1 2 inch spacers to assist in maintaining the 1 2 inch expansion gap between the first row of flooring planks and. If you have a concrete then you have choices to make 1. Use a tapping block to click pieces together image 1.