I want to put a solid wood floor(black Ash) over a concrete floor. I do not want to use laminate! I have a product Called”Redguard” that is a waterproof and anti fracture product which I have used on shower stalls with great results.
Question/ Has anyone done this and what procedure was used? Also could I put CDX 3/4″ plywood over the “Redguard” to use as a nailing surface. The concrete is,10 years old, slab on grade in northern Minnesota. Has anyone put hot water floor heat in this type of application.
Replies
subvet,
Absolutely, don't use a laminate. But seriously consider an "engineered" floor product for your application. You will get all the advantages of a hardwood surface, combined with the structural stability of plywood construction. Modern engineered floors have thick veneers, allowing refinishing, if ever necessary, several times if needed. I have put engineered floor over high quality urethane underlayment (floating) over concrete which felt, sounded and behaved in all aspects like a solid floor. The underlayment quality is the key.
Rich
Hi Rich
I think that finding the black ash engineered flooring might be a bit of a stretch, unless someone has a source.
How do you install solid wood flooring (not engineered) to a moisture barrier? Direct gluing of solid wood flooring to the product mentioned by subvet would fail. JL
"I think that finding the black ash engineered flooring might be a bit of a stretch" Yup, I missed that part. Rich
Thank you. What is the cost/sq ft of these engineered systems and did you seal the concrete with anything. I very much want to nail or glue the floor. I am in the preliminary stages just doing my homework. Can this floor be installed by non-flooring people and are the suppliers instructions complete?
do you know a manufactures name where I can go the the website?
Thanks again
Roy
subvet, The last floor I installed (I am NOT a professional flooring installer) was a product called Versastrip which I got at Home Depot at $4/sq ft. It is a high quality, European-made engineered floor. $4/ft is really a low price. I was very surprised to find such a good product there. I used the natural Maple. Home Depot's premium underlayment is green in color. I can't remember the brand. It was about $1/sq ft. There are many manufacturers of hardwood flooring with prices ranging from $4 to much higher. You need to do a Calcium Chloride moisture test of your concrete floor. Here's a site that has all the materials in a kit: http://www.vaportest.com/Webpages/calcium_chloride_test.htm or Google "Calcium Chloride Test." We had moisture figures slightly below the amount requiring "sealing" the concrete, but we sealed it any way. Taping the seams of the underlayment is all that's necessary. There are also chemical sealers. Laying the floor is just a matter of hammering together the tongue and groove strips. The Versastrip product locks together as you close the joint. There's a little trick for these kind of tight-fitting T&G products - you MUST hammer exactly in the plane of the flooring. Otherwise the joints WON'T mate. The "trick" is to let the hammer slide on the surface of the underlayment as you swing it. I used a 4 lb mallet. A special offset tool is required for the last row or 2 at the final wall, as there's no room to swing any more at that point. The tool is available where the flooring is sold. After 2 rooms, I welded up one of my own which worked much better. Both the flooring and the underlayment come with full instructions. Read them to get started, but once you've layed a row or 2 it's just common sense, no special skill. Rich
Edited 2/1/2007 9:57 pm ET by Rich14
subvet
Slab on grade in Northern Minnesota sounds an awful lot like, damp in the spring time when the world thaws out again. It doesn't matter how old the slab, if it is on grade it will transfer humidity to the flooring installed on it. Your idea of installing a waterproof membrane is a good one. I would also install a ply sub floor if you have the height to do it without causing transition problems with the area around. Just insure that you do not compromise the moisture seal when you fix the plywood to the slab and when you nail your flooring. I suggest you do fix the ply because you need it not to move. I would also install a felt roofing paper on the plywood before nailing the flooring ( a little insurance). Enjoy your project. JL
subvet,
Your question is EXTREMELY COMPLEX.
Installing a solid wood floor on top of a concrete slab is not an easy task. There are too many variables not defined. I would strongly recommend that you consult NOFMA. Google it.
Another good source wood be Fine Homebuilding.com.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
Kidderville, NH
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Dear Sub,
Hey, nice idea. I am unfamiliar with "Redguard", but it sounds like it would work. As an added measure you may want to look at "Dricore".... http://www.dricore.com/en/eindex.htm It is an OSB product that has a series of "feet" (My term) That allow for some airflow and it gives you the added depth to use full size flooring nails or staples. Here in CT, it is only available at Home Depot, but it is a good product anyway. Apply your vapor barrier, and then this stuff sits right on top. No glue, it actually goes together pretty quickly. Just a suggestion.
Best,
John
One option to think about is putting dri-core between the concrete and the hardwood. Dri-core is a brand name for a type of modular sub-floor. I learned about it on Breaktime - you should ask over there. They also have a web site. I used it in my basement and I am very satisfied with the results although we laid carpet, not hardwood, on top.
Chris
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