Hardwood Flooring On Concrete Subfloor

Learn how to install beautiful hardwood floors over a concrete slab.

Hardwood flooring on concrete subfloor.

Moisture can pose problems for solid hardwood floors below ground level so engineered wood floors made of layers of wood glued together are the best. Wood needs to move as the humidity increases and decreases throughout the year. 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. In this case the subfloor is the concrete slab.

The concrete subfloor must be sufficiently strong to safely support the flooring furniture and people in the room. A concrete subfloor can be covered with a variety of flooring materials or it can serve as the finished floor itself. Although you can attach hardwood directly to concrete with glue or nails it s not advisable. Check for cracks and crumbling.

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. Get a comprehensive breakdown on which materials to use what to take into consideration and what steps to take for four subfloor systems. Consult a flooring expert. Subfloors made of concrete typically are in the form of a solid concrete slab such as a basement floor or a slab on grade foundation.

With dry concrete and the right subfloors and vapor retarders solid hardwood floors can be installed on slabs that are either on grade at ground level or above grade above ground level. Floated subfloor alternate subfloor glue down sub floor and the nail down subfloor system. If you have a subfloor that consists of wood on top of concrete you ll need to test both floors. The moisture issue probably isn t being caused by the subfloor but if the hardwood flooring above is cupping it s a safe bet that the subfloor is suffering as well.

On wood frame floors the subflooring provides a continuous structural surface over the floor joists. In basements and in homes with slab on grade foundations the subfloor may simply be a concrete slab. This is a popular subflooring option in the southern states and in areas where homes do not have basements. Permanently attaching to concrete.

If the wood can t expand sideways it will twist warp or cup as it absorbs moisture. To level a subfloor for installing laminate follow the directions above to remove high and low spots. Laminate is a budget friendly attractive alternative to hardwood flooring.