Engineered Hardwood Floor On Slab

You need to be aware of any concrete substrate that has known moisture problems and remember that new slabs will be high in moisture.

Engineered hardwood floor on slab.

This can be a rich deep mahogany or a light knotty pine. Excessive moisture permeating from floor slabs after installation can cause floor covering system failures such as debonding and deterioration of finish flooring and coating and microbial growth. For your areas with concrete slab engineered wood will be your best bet. These planks click together and make a strong and movement stable foundation.

Engineered hardwood flooring is made from a high quality plywood. 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. However we still do not recommend installing engineered floors in laundry rooms or bathrooms. The thin slice of wood that lies on top of the layered board is typically less than 1 8 of an inch.

The top layer is made from hardwood. Glue nail staple and float. Engineered flooring is somewhat less expensive than solid hardwood but most types can be sanded and refinished only once since the surface hardwood layer is relatively thin. Better still it s competitively priced compared to solid hardwood flooring.

Engineered hardwood is highly processed and consists of multiple layers of wood products. 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. The topmost layer that is showcased is actually a thin veneer of a slice of wood. Upwards of 2 20 per square foot for engineered hardwood compared to upwards of 3 40 per square foot for solid.

Engineered wood flooring looks very similar on the surface but it is made from a relatively thin layer of hardwood bonded over a substrate of high quality plywood. Like any wood product engineered hardwood expands and contracts because of changes in moisture. Scratch and dent resistance differs among wood species. 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.

It s essential to choose the best option from the available types of floors for your hardwood installation on a concrete slab. If you ve decided to install engineered hardwoods there are four possible installation methods depending on the subfloor. For that reason the adhesive you choose depends on the environment and the conditions during installation.