How To Float A Hardwood Flooring Over Concrete

Floated subfloor alternate subfloor glue down sub floor and the nail down subfloor system.

How to float a hardwood flooring over concrete.

If your floor is concrete use a concrete grinder for large open areas or a 4 inch or 8 inch angle grinder with a cup wheel attachment made for use on concrete. You can rent a concrete grinder from a rental store. Using a glue down floor is an option in above grade installation only since installation below. If the slab is new don t even begin moisture testing until 30 days after pouring it it probably won t be ready to be covered until 60 days after.

Experienced professionals pay close attention to managing moisture and minimizing wood floor expansion and contraction when preparing to install hardwood floors on concrete slabs. Installing a hardwood floor over a concrete slab. Clean the floor for glue down installation. Get a comprehensive breakdown on which materials to use what to take into consideration and what steps to take for four subfloor systems.

Glued floors a heavy coat of moisture barrier will be required since the flooring is glued directly to the subfloor. Grinding and repairing a concrete floor can create concrete dust so be safe and wear a respirator a dust mask will not give you enough protection. Floating wood flooring can provide you with a simple installation and a beautiful floor at the same time. Before you prepare the concrete for hardwood flooring it must be dry.

Nailed floors you will need a moisture barrier that protects the subfloor as well as the flooring. Most manufacturers advise against installing hardwood flooring over concrete for two reasons moisture levels in concrete and the difficulty of attaching directly to concrete. Even if your home was built on a concrete slab you can still enjoy the beauty and charm of hardwood floors. Floating floors typically these moisture barriers are made from plastic.

Sweep and vacuum all dust and debris. Treated plywood to the concrete with concrete screws spaced every 16 in. If the concrete has been painted you will need to remove it to guarantee adhesive will stick. Alternatively screw rows of treated 1x4s to the concrete 16 in.

Lay 6 mil polyethylene sheeting over the concrete to minimize moisture migration from the concrete up into the wood flooring. If the concrete slab is in very poor condition the best practice is to use a grinder or buffer with a concrete scraper over the entire surface before covering it with a layer of self leveling concrete. Wear a mask and goggles when grinding the floor. You usually determine this with a meter that compares the relative humidity of the slab with the ambient humidity.

Most people can install this type of hardwood flooring as long as they are willing to do a little bit of work.