A hardwood floor is among the essentials of a gorgeous home. If you plan to put in a floor yourself, there are a couple of things to understand before you begin. The sort of floor you purchase makes an enormous difference in clean up during installation and years to come.
Laying down a hardwood floor may be a significant investment. However, if you intend to put in a wood floor over concrete, there are extra considerations we’ll cover to safeguard your investment. After all, we would like your floor to last for many years.
First, we’ll explore preparing the cement floor. Next, we’ll cover how to choose the proper hardwood floor and therefore the proper installation method.
Most Homes Have Cement Slabs
According to the US Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction, 54% of all homes within the U.S. sit on a cement slab foundation. Even in homes with basements, the basement floor is concrete, so virtually all homes have one floor made from concrete. While functional, it isn’t pretty or comfy under your feet.
There is nothing more beautiful or comfortable than a solid wood floor. As stated by HGTV, a finished basement with a hardwood floor can return up to 70% in resale value. However, you cannot just put down any wood floor over concrete and think it’ll last. Installing a wood floor over concrete requires some preparation and careful planning in order to protect the wood.
We have a great solution for you, but let’s check out all the considerations before you lay down that first plank.
Testing and Preparing a Cement Floor
Here are the four actions you must do to ensure a successful installation for your new wood floor.
- Check for Moisture Content
Cement is sort of a sponge. It wicks up water from the groundwater table and into your home. Perhaps the simplest moisture test is to tape down a 1-foot square piece of clear plastic and leave it for about 12 hours. If you see condensation or wet concrete, you’ve got a moisture problem. Sealing the slab is mandatory, and you will still need a secondary moisture barrier for the wood floor.
You can also rent or purchase a moisture meter to examine the floor’s moisture amount for more accurate analysis.
- Fill Any Cracks and Make Sure it’s Level
Concrete slabs will settle and crack over time. Before you go ahead and install the hardwood floor, fill any cracks. make certain the slab is smooth and level. You can find many products and videos on the various ways to repair cracks and level concrete slabs.
- Install the Moisture Barrier
A moisture barrier prevents water from wicking up through the cement slab into the wood floor. One option is to use a liquid sealer, applying it with a brush or roller. This method is suitable for basements or slabs that have high levels of moisture rising up through them.
Another moisture barrier you can use is a sheet of plastic, sealed at the seams. It forces moisture toward the walls, up and keeps it away from the wood floor.
- If Necessary, Install a Subfloor
A subfloor is simply a second floor between the hardwood floor above and concrete below. It prevents the wood from contacting the concrete directly, plus it gives you something to adhere flooring to or nail it into since the moisture barrier is under the sub-floor. The advantage of a subfloor is that it acts as both a sound and warmth insulator. Some subfloors combine water barrier features.
Now that you’re aware of the prerequisites to install a hardwood floor, let’s take a look at the simplest choice?
Why A Floating Hardwood Floor Is Almost Always the Easiest
A floating floor means it lays on top of the concrete slab or sub-floor. The floor’s weight keeps it from sliding around (solid wood is very heavy!). The advantage of a floating floor is that you simply don’t need glue or nails. Nails can puncture the moisture barrier and eventually cause rot and mildew within the wood.
Engineered hardwood is an alternative choice, but you will likely have to glue it, which won’t work on plastic sheeting moisture barriers. It can withstand moisture conditions, but it isn’t waterproof.
Solid hardwood lasts for many years. You’ll be able to sand it and alter the color and finish if you wish to repair it or change your room’s look.
For the simplest installation, you should choose a pre-finished floor. This means the stain and protecting polyurethane finish has already been applied. you will not have to deal with the mess and fumes of finishing the flooring in your home.
Where to Shop for a DIY Hardwood Floor for Concrete
Easiklip created a floating, pre-finished white oak flooring that is among the best in eco-friendly flooring. After installing, you can even uninstall it and take it to your new home if you move somewhere else.
That’s right! Once you own it, it is easy to lay it down yourself or remove it thanks to it’s unique, patented aluminum clips that hold it together. There’s no glue or nails required. You’ll be able to re-install it anywhere you go. It really is the simplest solution for adding a solid hardwood floor over any concrete sub-floor.
Easiklip is currently the only company combining pre-finished, 3/4-inch sustainable oak and reusable aluminum clips. It is the most effortless floor for inexperienced DIYers who want an environmentally-friendly flooring solution for basements or homes on slabs.
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METADATA
Installing a hardwood floor over concrete is likely to be a costly problem unless you follow our advice. Discover the simplest DIY hardwood floor for slabs and basements.
