How To Install Nail Down Wood Flooring On Concrete

Solid hardwood flooring only can be installed on or above ground level with a plywood subfloor.

How to install nail down wood flooring on concrete.

It s best to use shorter cleats than you would for a wood floor to ensure they sink in all the way. Always check with the manufacturer s instructions to determine if your hardwood floor can be installed over an in floor radiant heat system. And for do it yourselfers the preferred method is the floating floor installation which. Installing floors is a difficult diy job.

Lay the 1x4s perpendicular to the direction you intend to install the floor planks. How to install a nail down subfloor over concrete as with other installation methods a moisture control vapor retarder is recommended for on grade and below grade nail down installations. Align the first board with the layout line with the tongue facing into the room. Some engineered wood flooring products are designed for a glue down application when installing flooring over a concrete slab.

You may not need to build a plywood subfloor on top of the concrete slab depending on the floor system you choose. With a nail down engineered hardwood floor follow the same subfloor preparation steps as above including underlayment and laying spacers around the room s perimeter to maintain the manufacturer s recommended expansion gap. Then nail the flooring planks with a standard flooring nailer see photo for details. The easiest way to install hardwood is a floating floor.

Basement wood flooring options. Used when installing solid hardwood nail down installation is chosen due to how quickly and cost effectively it can be done. Alternatively screw rows of treated 1x4s to the concrete 16 in. Other products are better suited for a nail down installation where they are secured to a wood subfloor with nails or staples.

Treated plywood to the concrete with concrete screws spaced every 16 in. Plywood subfloor panels of 5 8 thickness or higher are recommended. You have two basement wood flooring options solid hardwood or engineered. Engineered flooring can be installed above grade at grade and below grade level do not install hardwood flooring in bathrooms.

Here s how to install flooring using the nail down method.