Subfloor For Engineered Hardwood Over Concrete

After installing a vapor retarder if necessary cut your plywood panels into 2 x8 or 4 x4 sections.

Subfloor for engineered hardwood over concrete.

A moisture control membrane is recommended any time a wood subfloor is installed over concrete. In basements and in homes with slab on grade foundations the subfloor may simply be a concrete slab. Installing engineered hardwood flooring over concrete too tight against a stationary object will not allow room for normal expansion and may cause a failure. How to install engineered wood over concrete engineered wood flooring offers the timeless look of hardwood but is perfect for basements and other areas where moisture can be an issue.

Check for cracks and crumbling. If you have a subfloor that consists of wood on top of concrete you ll need to test both floors. Consult the product data sheet for instructions regarding specific trowel requirements. As with a floated subfloor nwfa recommends a vapor retarder for glue down subfloors when installing wood flooring over concrete.

Subfloor must be flat. In general use a notched trowel to spread the adhesive. If necessary add vapor retarder before applying underlayment especially recommended if 3 4 inch wood flooring is installed over concrete. If the wood can t expand sideways it will twist warp or cup as it absorbs moisture.

The concrete subfloor must be sufficiently strong to safely support the flooring furniture and people in the room. Typically manufacturers will specify a flatness tolerance of 1 8 in a 6 foot radius and or 3 16 in a 10 foot radius. Wood floor over concrete than over a wood subfloor. In on grade and below grade installations moisture control systems are always recommended and required when calcium chloride readings are greater than three pounds or when relative humidity readings are greater than 75 percent.

On wood frame floors the subflooring provides a continuous structural surface over the floor joists. In this case the subfloor is the concrete slab. Make sure the concrete slab is flat to the wood flooring manufacturer s specification. But it s considerably more difficult to install a 3 4 in.

Wood needs to move as the humidity increases and decreases throughout the year. Nail down subfloor system get 3 4 inch minimum cd exposure 1 plywood subfloor panels 4 foot by 8 foot sheets. The nwfa recommends plywood with a minimal thickness of. The subfloor is the foundation beneath finish flooring materials.

Follow these steps to install an engineered wood floor in your home. You ll first have to install 3 4 in.