How To Install Nail Down Hardwood Floors On Concrete

It follows the same method as staple down installation but you use a wood flooring cleat rather than a stapler.

How to install nail down hardwood floors on concrete. How to install a nail down subfloor over concrete. Installing hardwood flooring on a plywood covered slab is identical to installing it on a wood subfloor. As with other installation methods a moisture control vapor retarder is recommended for on grade and below grade nail down installations. If you re installing engineered hardwood floors please refer to the staple down instructions.

Plan to nail down the engineered hardwood flooring when you have a wood subfloor. Some engineered wood flooring products are designed for a glue down application when installing flooring over a concrete slab. It s best to use shorter cleats than you would for a wood floor to ensure they sink in all the way. Gluing works well when you are installing engineered hardwood over a concrete subfloor but be sure you clearly understand the manufacturer s application instructions before you glue that floor.

Other products are better suited for a nail down installation where they are secured to a wood subfloor with nails or staples. Then nail the flooring planks with a standard flooring nailer see photo for details. Nail installation is a method commonly used for solid hardwood floors. Lay the 1x4s perpendicular to the direction you intend to install the floor planks.

To begin stagger panel joints and use 1 8 spacers between panels. And for do it yourselfers the preferred method is the floating floor installation which. Floated subfloor alternate subfloor glue down sub floor and the nail down subfloor system. Learn how to install beautiful hardwood floors over a concrete slab.

Alternatively screw rows of treated 1x4s to the concrete 16 in. Engineered flooring can be installed above grade at grade and below grade level do not install hardwood flooring in bathrooms. Always check with the manufacturer s instructions to determine if your hardwood floor can be installed over an in floor radiant heat system. You need to fill any large cracks and be sure that the entire floor is level.

Align the first board with the layout line with the tongue facing into the room. Treated plywood to the concrete with concrete screws spaced every 16 in. Here s how to install flooring using the nail down method. Used when installing solid hardwood nail down installation is chosen due to how quickly and cost effectively it can be done.

Get a comprehensive breakdown on which materials to use what to take into consideration and what steps to take for four subfloor systems. Solid hardwood flooring only can be installed on or above ground level with a plywood subfloor. You simply nail the boards with a flooring nailer.