Can you lay hardwood on a slab?
If you have a concrete slab main floor or basement, you may be wondering if it’s possible to install hardwood flooring directly on top of the concrete. The short answer is yes.
Does it matter which way you lay a wood floor?
Wood floors should always be laid perpendicular to floor joists—across rather that in between them. This will make the floors structurally sound and will help prevent the planks from separating, sagging or buckling. So, there is no right or wrong way to lay your wood flooring.
Should I lay wood floor horizontal or vertical?
The most common way to lay hardwood flooring is by aligning the planks parallel to the longest wall. Apart from a few exceptions like sagging joists, this is the preferred direction to lay wood floors because it aesthetically provides the best result.
How do you install solid wood flooring?
Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: Run the flooring along the length of the room with an expansion gap at the perimeter solid hardwood expands. And contracts stagger the joints at least six inches. And also avoid H joints.
What kind of wood floor can you put on a slab?
Engineered wood floors are the most stable product you can install to a concrete slab and Carlisle is pleased to offer the highest quality engineered wood flooring in the world.
What should I put between wood and concrete?
Anyplace where wood meets the ground or concrete, the lumber must be pressure treated. For additional moisture protection, a gasket or strip of closed-cell foam can be installed between the concrete foundation and the sill plate.
Should all flooring run the same direction?
While personal preference is a factor, the direction in which you run hardwood flooring boards is governed by visual and structural guidelines. Visual congruity usually requires the boards to run away from the main entrance of a room, but structural integrity mandates that they run perpendicular to the floor joists.
Should all wood floors run the same direction?
When placing wood floors in multiple rooms and a connecting hallway, the boards should all be directed away from the main entrance to the hall, and adjoining rooms should continue in that same direction.
How should flooring be laid?
Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: The direction of the light in your home in most cases you'll want to run the flooring parallel to the incoming.
Is underlayment necessary for solid hardwood floors?
The short answer: usually. If you already have a plywood subfloor, and the subfloor is smooth and level, then you may not need an underlayment beneath the hardwood floor. Plywood has some moisture resistance already compared to solid wood, and it mostly gives a smooth surface.
Do you need underlay for solid wood flooring?
Wood floors are perfectly comfortable to walk on without the need for extra padding underneath, and the subfloor will have to be made even before installation – so underlay isn’t required there.
Does solid wood flooring need to be glued?
Solid hardwood floors must be fixed into position by either gluing or nailing down to the subfloor. Engineered hardwood floors can be glued or nailed into position, but they also have the option of being floated over an underlay.
Is it better to glue or float hardwood floors?
If you are trying to decide between the two, then for engineered wood flooring floating is usually the best option as you can install it quickly and don’t have to worry about which glue to use and how long to wait for it to dry. If you are installing hardwood flooring then using glue may give you a more stable result.
Can you glue down 3/4 inch hardwood flooring?
No, 3/4 solid Hardwood flooring can expand and contract more than engineered wood flooring. I would not suggest direct gluing down any 3/4-inch thick solid Hardwood flooring to any surface, the adhesive bond might not allow the solid wood flooring to move or breath normally and can cause the wood flooring to distort.
Can you float a solid wood floor?
Can any type of hardwood flooring be floated? You must only float engineered hardwood flooring over an underlay. Solid wood flooring is not structurally stable enough to be floated, so it must be fixed into position.
How much does it cost to install 1000 square feet of hardwood floors?
between $6,000 and $12,000
Installing hardwood flooring averages between $6 and $12 per square foot. On average, wood flooring costs between $3 and $7 per square foot for materials and $3 to $5 per square foot for labor. An estimate for installation of 1000 square feet of hardwood flooring runs between $6,000 and $12,000.
Should you glue tongue and groove flooring?
Don’t Glue Tongue and Grooves
This is because wood flooring needs room to move as it expands. If the wood is glued both to the subfloor and between the planks, there’s no room for movement. In the long-run, limited movement leads to cracks, disfigurement and warping of your wood flooring.
Can tongue and groove flooring be floated?
Many tongue and groove floors can be floated over premium underlayment with good success. This is done by gluing the tongues and grooves together with a T&G adhesive. Unlike click-lock floating floors, T&G floors are not designed to be floated. It can be done, but it should be the exception not the rule.
Are staples or nails better for hardwood floors?
A staple will give a stronger, less-forgiving hold because of its two-pronged construction. Nails allow for a more natural expansion and contraction of the hardwood floorboards with fewer problems.
What is better floating floor or nailed?
Usually nailing is the cheapest method but the subfloor is limited to wood. The floating method is affordable because it does not require too much labour, materials or time to be executed. Glueing is the most expensive and the rate is determined based on the glue type and the total square footage.
