Can You Install Solid Hardwood Floors On Concrete

Since humidity causes natural wood to expand and contract your flooring won t be able to move.

Can you install solid hardwood floors on concrete.

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. When you install hardwood floors concrete is one of the best bases to work from there are only a few steps to take. It s essential to choose the best option from the available types of floors for your hardwood installation on a concrete slab. For starters while you can consider solid hardwood for at and above grade installations only engineered flooring with its plywoodlike construction is suitable below grade.

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. You can install either an engineered hardwood floor this is real hardwood done in layers or a laminate floor this is fake floor that looks like hardwood on top of cement. While you can glue directly to the subfloor with a urethane based hardwood floor adhesive or use plywood and screw the plywood directly into the concrete via a screw such as tapcons. Whether you re planning on renting out your home or looking to increase its value using concrete as a base is a great idea.

Follow these steps with care to safely complete the installation yourself. Installing hardwood flooring over concrete hardwood floors are durable low maintenance and easy to clean. Read manufacturer s directions before installation to maintain warranty coverage. Laminate will cost less.

If you have a concrete then you have choices to make 1. 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. This is one of the most common approaches i have seen to install a solid plank hardwood floor over concrete. Hardwood type there is no way to install standard 3 4 hardwood on concrete.

Engineered hardwood will improve the value of your home. Most manufacturers advise against installing hardwood flooring over concrete for two reasons moisture levels in concrete and the difficulty of attaching directly to concrete. You don t want to try and glue it down either. 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.