Wood Flooring On Concrete Subfloor

Laminate is a budget friendly attractive alternative to hardwood flooring.

Wood flooring on concrete subfloor.

Get a comprehensive breakdown on which materials to use what to take into consideration and what steps to take for four subfloor systems. Subfloor must be flat. Typically manufacturers will specify a flatness tolerance of 1 8 in a 6 foot radius and or 3 16 in a 10 foot radius. Make sure the concrete slab is flat to the wood flooring manufacturer s specification.

Over concrete with a wood subfloor. Learn how to install beautiful hardwood floors over a concrete slab. Concrete is a common subfloor material and in general it s easy to prepare for a luxury vinyl flooring installation project. How to install a glued subfloor over concrete.

Determining moisture content of both the wood flooring and the subfloor is an important part of quality control in the flooring installation process. If your concrete subfloor was just poured you ll need to allow it to properly cure for a minimum of 60 days before your luxury vinyl flooring installation begins. Check your flooring manufacturer s recommendations to ensure you re using a proper subfloor. This is a popular subflooring option in the southern states and in areas where homes do not have basements.

New concrete is heavy with moisture and it must be a minimum of 30 days old before moisture testing begins. Use a 6 staple pattern at the perimeter of the subfloor. Laminate planks snap together and float above a subfloor which means tiny subfloor imperfections are okay although again a level subfloor will help prevent damage. Use a moisture vapor retarder between the subflooring and the hardwood flooring to prevent moisture from leaching through the joists and subfloor to negatively affect the hardwood above.

A vapor retarder is recommended any time you install a solid 3 4 inch wood flooring over concrete. The concrete subfloor must be sufficiently strong to safely support the flooring furniture and people in the room. If you have a subfloor that consists of wood on top of concrete you ll need to test both floors. As with a floated subfloor nwfa recommends a vapor retarder for glue down subfloors when installing wood flooring over concrete.

To level a subfloor for installing laminate follow the directions above to remove high and low spots. Check for cracks and crumbling.