Wood Flooring Over Concrete Subfloor

New concrete is heavy with moisture and it must be a minimum of 30 days old before moisture testing begins.

Wood flooring over concrete subfloor.

Alternatively screw rows of treated 1x4s to the concrete 16 in. After installing a vapor retarder if necessary cut your plywood panels into 2 x8 or 4 x4 sections. Get a comprehensive breakdown on which materials to use what to take into consideration and what steps to take for four subfloor systems. 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.

Wood subfloors are durable and designed to last but the process of installing luxury vinyl flooring over wood is slightly more complex than concrete. When the adhesive requires add a moisture control system before applying the adhesive. As with a floated subfloor nwfa recommends a vapor retarder for glue down subfloors when installing wood flooring over concrete. Lay 6 mil polyethylene sheeting over the concrete to minimize moisture migration from the concrete up into the wood flooring.

Installing floors is a difficult diy job. Treated plywood to the concrete with concrete screws spaced every 16 in. You have two basement wood flooring options solid hardwood or engineered. When direct gluing a wood subfloor over concrete follow the adhesive manufacturer s recommendation for moisture requirements and limitations type of adhesive application method trowel notch type and spread rates.

You may not need to build a plywood subfloor on top of the concrete slab depending on the floor system you choose. Floated subfloor alternate subfloor glue down sub floor and the nail down subfloor system. Here s a step by step guide to help you prepare a wood subfloor for luxury vinyl. To level a subfloor for installing laminate follow the directions above to remove high and low spots.

The concrete subfloor must be sufficiently strong to safely support the flooring furniture and people in the room. Check for cracks and crumbling. Laminate is a budget friendly attractive alternative to hardwood flooring. It s still a manageable job if you have a little diy skill.

Determining moisture content of both the wood flooring and the subfloor is an important part of quality control in the flooring installation process. Learn how to install beautiful hardwood floors over a concrete slab. If you have a subfloor that consists of wood on top of concrete you ll need to test both floors. Engineered solid wood or floating wood flooring that are less than 1 2 thick can be installed over a wood plank subfloor as long as the 3 4 plank subfloor is flat.