help! how to install wood to the concrete (hardwood floors, how much, engineered)

[farhadazari]

please help me.
I am going to install wood on the concrete floor.1 how to install the wood to the concrete. 2 how much cost per sq/ft (labor charge too).
thanks.

[K'ledgeBldr]

I'm assuming you talking about prefinished hardwood. It is usually a glue-down process. However, there are some products that "float" over the substrate. As far as cost, its going to depend on what type you have. There may be additional prep work involved, your labor market may be different from mine. Call around to a few floor installers and ask the questions.

[Tesaje]

#1 in a basement is ensuring the concrete is waterproof. Moisture seeping up will make a gluedown fail eventually. That's why most of these are floated floors over a waterproof membrane.

[K'ledgeBldr]

For more information check this site:

Hardwood Floors - A Consumer Guide - Direct Sales

[garth]

First, you didn't mention if you're using solid wood or a engineered wood product (not fake laminate). If you're thinking of solid wood, it hasn't traditionally been installed directly on a slab. Concrete will wick moisture and solid wood will expand and contract too much. It's a receipe for disaster.

Traditionally, engineered wood floors have been the choice for direct application on a concrete slab when they're used with the glue-down method. They're dimensionally more stable to withstand the effects produced by a slab.

I have seen some manufacturers of solid wood floors recently okay the installation on a concrete slab. They get around the stability problem by requiring the installer fir up the wood floor. Simply, the installer glues firing strips to the foor, upon which the floor is installed. It's kinda like mini joists that are only 1" wide and 1/4" thick.

They may also use a moisture barrier in that application, too. I'm not too familiar with it because I've avoided it with the wood products I put down on the slabs in my home. I've heard for too long that solid wood can't be applied directly to the slab, so I can't get beyond the aversion to using it on a slab in any form. It might be okay if the instructions are followed, but I'l just have to let someone else be the test subject.

The firring strip method of installation also dramatically increases the height of the floor. It might create a transition issue to the next floor area unless the height was taken into consideration during construction. For example, solid wood strips are normally 3/4" tall. On top of that you have to add the height of the firing strips. What are they, something like 1/4"? Thatwould give a total height of at least 1" whereas an engineered floor would be something in the range of 5/8th inch.

It may not sound like a big deal, but if the transition between two different flooring areas can't be made to accomodate the difference, there will be a transition strip or a small step up. In either case, it's a tripping hazard.

I know some people will say that they have lived with transition strips and it hasn't caused them any problems. However, they are likely not geting up in years where the tripping hazard becomes more of a concern.

Personally, I have seen such things in houses when I've been looking to buy, and have always noted them on the problem side of my home evaluation. They are what they are, either a way to get around poor planning or a method of hiding a poor installation that failed to correct the subfloor to accomodate the differing flooring heights. In either case, I don't like it because it looks bad.

In the case of an engineered floor that's glued directly to the slab, there is something else that is done before the floor goes down. A membrane is usually painted on the floor. It helps isolate the floor from moisture in the slab and seperates the engineered wood structure from any cracking of the slab. It helps to keep the cracks from affecting the finished look of the floor.

As for the cost of an engineered product, that can be all over the board. It depends on the quality of the product and the thickness of the wear layer. If you were considering a higher end engineered product, it should cost you something in the range of $10/ sq ft or more for the product with installation running in the $3-4/sq ft range. That's what it has run in my area.

You can probably get the same $10+/sq ft product for a lower price if you look around. There's closeout stores out there and some sell their product online.

Good luck with your installation.

[bnepler]

I had engineered wood installed in my last home in Florida. For a moisture barrier over a concrete slab, the installer glued vinyl flooring up-side down before installing the wood. Then glued the wood on top of the flooring. A great idea.

[donneyfudd]

I bought "Columbia" engineered hardwood flooring (1/2"x 3") and I am covering concrete w/it. Do I membrane on the floor first and what adhesive should I use? Thanks, Donney.

[jimboburnsy]

Judging solely based on what I see in my house, the cerca 1955 procedure for installing hardwoods over slab was to lay a subfloor of 1X4 planks, either fastened with concrete nails or glued down with a mastic (or both), and then blind nail the flooring into the subfloor. It seems to hold up fairly well and I'm sure the practice is still in service.

Installing hardwoods, particularly the prefinished variety, is an extremely simple operation and should not be the big expense in any serious remodel. That said, any sort of "finish" work isn't exactly cheap either. You pay for convenience and you pay for not knowing what the contractors are going to do (in more ways than one).

[Threerun]

Originally Posted by K'ledgeBldr

For more information check this site:

Hardwood Floors - A Consumer Guide - Direct Sales

That's the site I have saved as a sticky in my home repairs folder
Came in pretty handy when we laid down the wood floor in my kitchen..