Subfloor For Engineered Hardwood Over Concrete

If the slab is out of specification consider grinding floating or both.

Subfloor for engineered hardwood over concrete.

In basements and in homes with slab on grade foundations the subfloor may simply be a concrete slab. Follow these steps to install an engineered wood floor in your home. The nwfa recommends plywood with a minimal thickness of. Typically manufacturers will specify a flatness tolerance of 1 8 in a 6 foot radius and or 3 16 in a 10 foot radius.

Although you can attach hardwood directly to concrete with glue or nails it s not advisable. Installing engineered hardwood flooring over concrete too tight against a stationary object will not allow room for normal expansion and may cause a failure. The combination of the underlayment and flooring raises the height of the floor 1 1 2 in so be sure the extra height doesn t create problems around cabinets in doorways or at transitions to other types of flooring. Consult the product data sheet for instructions regarding specific trowel requirements.

After installing a vapor retarder if necessary cut your plywood panels into 2 x8 or 4 x4 sections. How to install engineered wood over concrete engineered wood flooring offers the timeless look of hardwood but is perfect for basements and other areas where moisture can be an issue. In general use a notched trowel to spread the adhesive. In this case the subfloor is the concrete slab.

Subfloor must be flat. On wood frame floors the subflooring provides a continuous structural surface over the floor joists. If the wood can t expand sideways it will twist warp or cup as it absorbs moisture. A moisture control membrane is recommended any time a wood subfloor is installed over concrete.

Check for cracks and crumbling. The concrete subfloor must be sufficiently strong to safely support the flooring furniture and people in the room. As with a floated subfloor nwfa recommends a vapor retarder for glue down subfloors when installing wood flooring over concrete. Wood floor over concrete than over a wood subfloor.

Make sure the concrete slab is flat to the wood flooring manufacturer s specification. Nail down subfloor system get 3 4 inch minimum cd exposure 1 plywood subfloor panels 4 foot by 8 foot sheets. Wood needs to move as the humidity increases and decreases throughout the year. In on grade and below grade installations moisture control systems are always recommended and required when calcium chloride readings are greater than three pounds or when relative humidity readings are greater than 75 percent.

If necessary add vapor retarder before applying underlayment especially recommended if 3 4 inch wood flooring is installed over concrete. But it s considerably more difficult to install a 3 4 in.