Installing Engineered Hardwood Flooring On Concrete

Use a notched trowel to spread the adhesive.

Installing engineered hardwood flooring on concrete.

Next check the boards for warpage or defects and then remove any bad ones. A floating engineered wood flooring installation on concrete can be an excellent choice if your subfloor is below grade. Installing a staple down engineered hardwood floor step 1. Engineered wood flooring offers the timeless look of hardwood but is perfect for basements and other areas where moisture can be an issue.

Only spread the adhesive over small areas ahead of you at any given time. 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 adhesive manufacturer should have instructions regarding specific trowel requirements. Check the manufacturer s recommendations but in most cases it s a minimum of three days with no maximum.

You should install a floating engineered hardwood when you need flexibility. Your very first step before installing engineered hardwood floors over concrete is to let the boards acclimate to the room where they re going to be installed. You don t want the adhesive drying before you can get to that area. The national wood flooring association recommends two alternative installation methods.

Secure the first row for the first row pre drill and nail with finishing nails about 1 inch from the wall at 3 to 4 inch intervals. 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. While it s possible to glue hardwood flooring to concrete it s a messy and risky procedure and it s prone to failure. Installing plywood over the subfloor or using sleepers which are two by fours laid flat across the floor and used as nailers.

Installing a floating engineered hardwood floor works well at any grade level and over most types of subfloor surfaces.