Can Solid Wood Flooring Be Installed On Concrete

Wood floor over concrete details.

Can solid wood flooring be installed on concrete.

I do get a lot of customers asking me about hardwood flooring over concrete and there does seem to be a lot of confusion so i hope this helps clarify. 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. The answer is yes. For these spaces it can be better to use engineered wood floors instead.

Hardwood type there is no way to install standard 3 4 hardwood on concrete. In fact many homes are built on a concrete slab rather than a crawl space. Your concrete floor or slab must be flat when installing a basement hardwood floor the concrete must be flat so the tongue and grooves of the hardwood meet and connect. 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.

The reason why is because there are many tricky things you ll need to consider. One of the most common questions we receive from both homeowners and professionals alike is if wood flooring can be installed over concrete. 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. Most 3 4 solid hardwood is made as a nail staple down installation.

Plywood to the concrete. If you love solid wood floors and your home rests on a concrete slab you re not out of luck. Wood floor over concrete than over a wood subfloor. 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.

Some of these reasons are. But it s considerably more difficult to install a 3 4 in. Most flooring manufacturers say you should not install hardwood over concrete if the tests show the moisture emission rate is over 3 pounds. So if you want wood floors and are dealing with concrete don t worry.

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. You should never install hardwood when there is a moisture issue regardless of the subfloor. But the catch is that the solid wood flooring we have that can be glued over concrete and warranted is 5 16 and 7 16 solid hardwood not 3 4 solid hardwood and can be only on on grade and suspended concrete. Lay a plastic moisture barrier and then screw 3 4 in.

You don t want to try and glue it down either. Yes you sure can provided there is not a moisture issue.