Please consult with adhesive manufacturer to determine if suitable for use with this material. And our prefinished wood floors help save time during installation because there is no sanding, staining or finishing required on-site. ft./case) It’s time to take hardwood quality further. A vapor retarder is always required over the concrete slab and below the subflooring material. Maple Cardiff 3/8 in. Experienced professionals pay close attention to managing moisture and minimizing wood floor expansion and contraction when preparing to install hardwood floors on concrete slabs. With Launstein Hardwood Floors you can enjoy the … Begin by covering the slab with a vapor retarder. The National Wood Flooring Association recommends two choices in sub-flooring systems for concrete installations: plywood-on-slab and sleeper.  Privacy Policy, How to Clean Hardwood Floors the Right Way. These include glue-down, floating, and nail-down. National Wood Flooring Association - Moisture Guidelines and Moisture Testing*. x 7.5 in. How to Tell if Your Hardwood Floors Need Refinishing. How do you plan on installing the floor? A plastic vapor barrier comes next. 2. This construction maintains superb dimensional stability through seasonal humidity and temperature fluctuations in the home. New concrete is heavy with moisture, and it must be a minimum of 30 days old before moisture testing begins. It spreads across uneven slabs, filling in low spots as it creates a new, level surface. Most all strip/plank flooring can be installed over an approved subflooring material with approved mechanical fasteners (cleats, nails, or staples). Thick x 2 in. NOTE: Natural Floors SMARTCORE Premium Engineered Vinyl Floors may be installed with a direct glue-down method on approved wooden (or) concrete substrates that are on, above, or below grade. For any flooring 3” or wider the difference should be within 2% mc. For more information reference the installation instructions for your specific hardwood floor. Do not use power-actuated fasteners or concrete nails when radiant heat pipes are embedded in the slab. Solid hardwood is a great choice for dry, above-ground installations. Where are you installing? Three Methods for Testing Concrete Moisture Levels . Spread using a 1/4" by 1/4" notched trowel. The flooring should be removed from its boxes and all packing materials during this process. Over this, apply a second similar coating of mastic and roll out a second layer of asphalt or paper in the same direction as the first, staggering the overlaps to achieve an even thickness. Make sure that the subfloor is free of dust, debris and other unwanted elements. But engineered wood flooring tech has grown tremendously over the last 15 years, and the products can be used just about anywhere, including places where you would expect to find plank floors, and sometimes even kitchens. 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). Plank Flooring Moisture can cause many types of flooring to bow, warp, or bubble. In such cases, follow wood or adhesive manufacturer's recommendation. A 4-inch minimum gravel base goes over the foam board, forming the base for the concrete. When moisture conditions are more severe, prime the slab and apply cold, cut-back mastic with a straightedge or fine-tooth trowel (100 sq. Otherwise, yellow pine, fir or other kiln-dried framing species is acceptable. Plank flooring four inches and wider requires either the plywood-on-slab system or the sleeper system topped with a minimum of 5/8” inch thick plywood or ¾” OSB. Use only Natural Floors recommended flooring adhesive. Subfloors Installing a hardwood floor over a concrete slab Even if your home was built on a concrete slab, you can still enjoy the beauty and charm of hardwood floors. And in other places (Texas, Louisiana, Florida, etc) the answer is a big fat NO. asphalt felt or building paper, lapping the edges 4" and butting the ends. ft. 4 ft. x 25 ft. x 0.08 in. © 2021 Hardwood Manufacturers Association, How Selecting Materials Impacts Our Lives. They can also be installed over concrete slab or radiant heating. Within a year after the installation about a half dozen planks have cupped. For best results, several areas of each room should be tested for excess moisture. Engineered hardwood is best for rooms that have moisture potential, such as basements. Puncture bubbles to release trapped air. Hardwood furniture: Beautiful, solid, functional, durable, and environmentally friendly. Instead, cut the plywood into 2' by 8' planks and score the backs 3/8" deep on a 12" grid. Know your Hardwood Floors by Starting at the "Finish", Revealing Hardwood Treasure beneath Carpeting and Linoleum, American Hardwoods and Their Role in Carbon Neutral Design. Grind off any high spots and fill any low spots. Loosely lay a nailing surface of 3/4" 4' x 8' exterior plywood panels over the entire area, leaving a 3/4" space at the wall line and 1/4" to 1/2" between panels. For systems other than radiant heat, the plywood planks may be glued to the plastic with asphalt mastic. Even so, when they want to upgrade their home later on, that concrete slab can be a problem. Polyethylene: Cover the entire slab with 4 to 6 mil polyethylene film, overlapping the edges 4" to 6", and allowing enough film to extend under the baseboard on all sides. Why It’s Important to Insulate a Concrete Floor in the Basement Three key benefits of insulating the concrete floors in the basement are heat loss prevention, moisture prevention, and a higher level of comfort. FloorMuffler 100 sq. However, we still do not recommend installing engineered floors in … In winter, heating should be maintained near occupancy levels at least five days before the flooring is delivered and maintained from that point on. Lumber core engineered flooring is made of narrow strips of lumber glued together to create a dense, impact-resistant slab with a layer of hardwood veneer affixed to the top. Before installing hardwood floors on a concrete slab, the flooring should be acclimated to the installation site. Cut plywood to fit within 1/8" near door jambs and other obstructions where finish trim will not be used. If the concrete slab is new, you should give it at least 30 days to cure before installing any type of flooring. ft. per gallon). Wood floors should not be subjected to very wet conditions. Cut-back asphalt, chlorinated solvent and petroleum-based solvent mastics are all applied cold and are used for laying tongue-and-grooved block and parquet floors. 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. Detailed qualitative and quantitative testing methods are provided by the National Wood Flooring Association. Wide x 78 in. About To Show Your Hardwood Floor The Door? Before installing the floor, loosely lay an additional vapor retarder of 4 to 6 mil polyethylene film over the sleepers, overlapping the edges on top of the 2 x 4s. While there may be some drawbacks to this material, it’s worth a closer look. It comes as a powder then mixed with water to a batter-like consistency. SleepersFlat, dry, kiln-dried, preservative-treated 2" x 4" sleepers in random lengths (18" to 48") can also serve as a nailing base. Mastics and TrowelsHot asphalt is generally used only for laying screeds on concrete, and the screeds must be positioned immediately upon pouring the mastic (always follow manufacturer's directions). In warm weather, the building should be wellventilated. In some situtations "yes" a glue in place hardwood (or soft wood in this case) can be installed directy over slab. Laminate floors, which may be tongue and groove or snap-together, are "floating" floors and not attached to the subfloor. Unlike solid hardwood, engineered flooring is the perfect compromise for those wanting a combination of timelessness and versatility. Pour the Concrete Slab . American Hardwoods Offer a Breath of Fresh Air, Mix – Don’t Match – Wood Textures and Colors; Experts Across the U.S. Urge Diversity in Design, Straight Talk About Hardwoods from Four Savvy Design Pros, Hardwood Flooring Trends – A Touch of the Creative, Hardwood Flooring Must-Know Shopping Facts. One way it’s a problem is for installing hardwood flooring. Engineered wood floors may be nailed or glued to the plywood subfloor. (Follow your manufacturer's instructions on coverage, drying time and ventilation. Slabs less than 60 days old are generally too wet to install floors. Experienced professionals pay close attention to managing moisture and minimizing wood floor expansion and contraction when preparing to install hardwood floors on concrete slabs. A glue in place hardwood installation is a different ball of wax than any other form of installation. NOTE: Always follow manufacturers' directions as some manufacturers may allow direct glue-down applications and/or recommend nailing and gluing to a substrate. However, advancements in engineered flooring have made above-grade wood-to-concrete adhesion possible if certain conditions are met. Hope that helps. Floors can be delivered to your home starting at $99, or picked up in-store for free! Installing engineered hardwood costs anywhere from $8 to $14 per square foot, including parts and labor. AcclimationWhen the site is prepared, the flooring can be delivered and stored in each room where it will be installed. Usually, only certified installers are able to put in engineered quartz counters. How Much Dimensional Change Should You Expect? As such, the cost to install engineered quartz counters typically ranges between $20 and $50 per square foot. Premium Underlayment for Laminate, Hardwood, and Engineered Floors $64.98 Home Legend Matte Chamois Mahogany 3/8 in. It is vitally important to test your concrete slab's moisture before installing flooring over it. Wide x Varying Length Engineered Click Hardwood Flooring (23.64 sq. Allow to set for two hours. Maximize your home’s value. Heated Hardwood Flooring is the single most effective Luxury upgrade for your home. Once the water vapors gather underneath your flooring, it will start to pool up and “soak” into your hardwood flooring. Solid hardwood floor can’t be installed in below grade rooms, such as basements and some laundry rooms, because the moisture content in these rooms could damage your floor even with the proper vapor barrier. Once this happens, the flooring can buckle or … https://www.facebook.com/AmericanHardwoods, https://www.pinterest.com/americanhardwds/. The structure of engineered wood flooring makes it a versatile hardwood option for areas where humidity and temperature could be a concern — like basements — or over concrete slab or radiant heating systems. Basement Flooring 101 A surprising number of materials are suitable for basement flooring. Avoid bunching or puncturing the film, especially between sleepers. Solid parquet hardwood flooring can be glued directly to a concrete slab on grade or above grade with the use of a manufacturer recommended vapor retarder. Cameron Witbeck for WarmlyYours September 3, 2019 A minimum 6 mil construction grade polyethylene film, with perm of .13 or other impermeable material with a perm of .15 or less is recommended. All concrete, masonry and sheet-rock should be completely dry. A new moist slab should be allowed to dry naturally or the process can be hastened with heat and ventilation. Better still, it’s competitively priced compared to solid hardwood flooring; upwards of $2.20 per square foot for engineered hardwood, compared to upwards of $3.40 per square foot for solid hardwood. ft. per gallon). Check with the manufacturer of your engineered wood to ensure that it's viable with the process. Plywood on slab Many homes today are built over a concrete slab, rather than a full basement. Hey Jason, we live in NW Florida and had engineered hardwood install three years ago over a cement slab in our great room. Floating Engineered Wood Floors were designed for installing over concrete and really work the best. Flat, Clean Slab In most instances, hardwood flooring is never glued directly to concrete. Before delivery to the site, the building should be closed-in with outside windows and doors in place. Nail the finished flooring to the sleepers through the film. Acclimate Flooring. If the concrete slab is already installed, then three things should be checked as part of the pre-installation process: dryness, level and cleanliness. Launstein Hardwood Floors are engineered to give your home the Beauty of Hardwood Flooring and the Luxury of Radiant Heat. Protect the Flooring. As a small aside, if you're planning on installing hardwood floors over concrete, you may want to learn about the 3 recommended methods. For these flooring types, the screed system must be overlaid with proper subflooring material. Wire mesh reinforcement is next laid … Lay plywood diagonally across the direction of the finished floor to help prevent cracks along panel edges. Some manufacturers allow direct glue installation of 3/4" solid parquet flooring. Check out Major Brand 5/8 in. Solid hardwood is a great option for cooler climates. If you plan on leveling a concrete floor, you can do so with relative ease by using a leveling compound. Install the plywood after the vapor retarder is in place. If the concrete subfloor is always dry, however, laminate floors can be placed directly on the slab. Of course, vinyl placed on concrete won’t be as warm as it would be over a wood subfloor, but its complete water resistance outweighs this negative. Thick x 6-1/2 in. Begin by sweeping the slab clean, applying an asphalt primer and allowing it to dry. Check the humidity level of basement slab concrete: Once the concrete has had time to cure, check humidity with a moisture meter, and if it is 4.5% or higher, the slab might be unsuitable for laminate, even with a vapor barrier. Here are items you should consider before the job is started. The entire flooring level is considered to be below grade where soil is present along any perimeter wall and is more than 3" above the installed wood flooring level. Stagger the end joints, overlapping the ends 4", with 1/4" space between. Dry Slab Next, embed the sleepers on their flat faces in rivers of hot (poured) or cold (cut-back) asphalt mastic, in rows 6-7” on center, at a right angle to the direction of the finished flooring. The cost depends on the grade of wood. If you live in an apartment that has a concrete… Experts agree, American Hardwood sells! Flooring is considered acclimated when the moisture difference between the wood and the subfloor material is within 4% for flooring less than 3” in width. While a basement is nice to have, it’s an added expense that many first-time homeowners just can’t afford. No fasteners penetrate the retarder or the concrete. Solid 5/16" hardwood can be glued to a concrete slab. But for warmer climates that are build on a concrete slab, solid hardwood often isn’t practical (as you can’t nail it into concrete…and it costs more and adds additional height if you need to add plywood). Check the specifications on the … For a house slab, the contractor will first install slab foam board insulation. Solid flooring may be installed directly to the slab. If tests indicate too much moisture is in the slab, do not install hardwood floors. Mostly used on concrete floors it also works on plywood floors. On the first floor of a home built on a concrete slab or in a basement or over radiant flooring systems. Either subfloor system is satisfactory for three-quarter inch flooring. Plus, it’s still warmer than ceramic tiles and especially bare cement. Test for Dryness Better than engineered hardwood in damp basements Without a proper moisture meter, you cannot determine if the flooring has been properly acclimated. Prior to installing the wood, the wood was left at the house to acclimate and the slab was checked to ensure that the moisture level was acceptable to the manufacturer’s specifications. Unroll 15-lb. Cut-back asphalt mastic can be used to hold a recommended vapor retarder and/or to glue a plywood sub floor to a slab. Determining moisture content of both the wood flooring and the subfloor is an important part of quality control in the flooring installation process. Successful installation also requires conducting a concrete slab moisture test before parquet installation. Even if your home was built on a concrete slab, you can still enjoy the beauty and charm of hardwood floors. Solid and engineered flooring needs to be at least ¾” thick to be directly installed onto sleepers. Fasten plywood to the slab with power-actuated fasteners, securing the center of the panel first, then the edges, spacing fasteners 2” from the edges every 6-8” along the perimeter and 1 fastener spaced approximately 12” apart within the interior of the panel. Engineered hardwood floors however, can be installed on all grades of a home. Here, we look at why insulating concrete floors is so important and offer tips on choosing and installing concrete floor insulation. These hardwood floors can simply be installed using their 1/8" thick padding directly on the concrete slab over a 4-6 mil plastic. Try our Picture It visualizer to see our floors in your space and get 4 free flooring samples delivered. Length Hard Surface Reducer Molding Asphalt felt or building paper: first, prime the slab and apply cold, cut-back asphalt mastic with a notched trowel (50 sq. The slab must be flat with a trowel finish, free of grease, oil, stains and dust. What do snowflakes, fingerprints, and hardwood floors have in common? There are various types of engineered wood, including popular options like oak and maple, and different finishes, such as glossy and matte. Since concrete is porous, water vapors transmits from the ground through the concrete slab into your basement. With solid hardwood floors, a proper vapor retarder must be installed on top of the slab to make sure normal slab moisture does not reach the finished floor. These can be attached to your existing slab floor and then embedded in a new layer of traditional concrete, which can then be treated like any finished concrete floor. Laminate. Solid parquet should not be installed below grade. Solid 3/4" hardwood can be installed over wood panels that have been applied to the concrete. The installer said it was moisture under the slab and eventually every plank would start to cup. Lay 4 to 6 mil polyethylene film over the slab, overlapping the edges 4 to 6". In either case, roll the film flat or "walk" it in, stepping on every square foot to ensure adhesion.

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