Floating Engineered Wood Flooring Installation On Concrete

The quickest way to get new wood underfoot is to install a floating floor.

Floating engineered wood flooring installation on concrete.

Most manufacturers advise against installing hardwood flooring over concrete for two reasons moisture levels in concrete and the difficulty of attaching directly to concrete. It s also a great option if you choose to incorporate a radiant heat system don t forget the vapor retarder. Follow these steps to install an engineered wood floor in your home. Most people can install this type of hardwood flooring as long as they are willing to do a little bit of work.

Floating engineered hardwood flooring before installing a floating engineered hardwood floor follow the same preparation steps mentioned above including underlayment and laying out spacers to maintain the expansion gap specified by the manufacturer. Unlike traditional solid wood strips a floating floor isn t nailed down. When it comes to installing a floating solid hardwood floor in your basement easiklip should be your first choice. If you decide to install your floating floor on concrete anyway you need to test the concrete with a calibrated concrete moisture meter to verify that it is dry less than 4 moisture content before proceeding.

Decide which way the pre finished hardwood flooring planks will lay. Lay 6 mil polyethylene sheeting over the concrete to minimize moisture migration from the concrete up into the wood flooring. Floating wood flooring can provide you with a simple installation and a beautiful floor at the same 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.

Installation expansion gaps should be left between the flooring and wall. Floating engineered wood flooring problems mainly come from moisture and not taking the proper steps to ensure the wood is protected from underneath the main drawback of using a floating floor installation for the engineered wood is the initial extra step to secure the boards. The manufacturer should have recommendations for how wide the expansion gaps need to be. The planks go down fast over virtually any material concrete plywood sheet vinyl even ceramic tile.

Here are the basics of how to install floating hardwood floors over concrete. A floating engineered wood flooring installation on concrete can be an excellent choice if your subfloor is below grade. Alternatively screw rows of treated 1x4s to the concrete 16 in.