Can Solid Wood Flooring Be Installed On Concrete

Your concrete floor or slab must be flat when installing a basement hardwood floor the concrete must be flat so the tongue and grooves of the hardwood meet and connect.

Can solid wood flooring be installed on concrete.

If you love solid wood floors and your home rests on a concrete slab you re not out of luck. Wood floor over concrete details. 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. The answer is yes.

Most 3 4 solid hardwood is made as a nail staple down installation. I do get a lot of customers asking me about hardwood flooring over concrete and there does seem to be a lot of confusion so i hope this helps clarify. Most flooring manufacturers say you should not install hardwood over concrete if the tests show the moisture emission rate is over 3 pounds. One of the most common questions we receive from both homeowners and professionals alike is if wood flooring can be installed over concrete.

However below ground level spaces can have problems with moisture. Installing hardwood on concrete is not a do it yourself project. But it s considerably more difficult to install a 3 4 in. Wood planks to the plywood.

The reason why is because there are many tricky things you ll need to consider. Yes you sure can provided there is not a moisture issue. 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 choice there. Some of these reasons are.

Lay a plastic moisture barrier and then screw 3 4 in. Hardwood type there is no way to install standard 3 4 hardwood on concrete. For these spaces it can be better to use engineered wood floors instead. You don t want to try and glue it down either.

Plywood to the concrete. Wood floor over concrete than over a wood subfloor. So if you want wood floors and are dealing with concrete don t worry. But the catch is that the solid wood flooring we have that can be glued over concrete and warranted is 5 16 and 7 16 solid hardwood not 3 4 solid hardwood and can be only on on grade and suspended concrete.

Solid hardwood floors are suitable for installing both at ground level and above ground level assuming the concrete is dry and that the right subfloor and vapor retarders are used. The fact that your home is built on a concrete slabs does not preclude installing hardwood floors but several considerations apply not least of which is subfloor preparation.