How To Level A Concrete Floor For Engineered Hardwood

Other products are better suited for a nail down installation where they are secured to a wood subfloor with nails or staples.

How to level a concrete floor for engineered hardwood. A dust mask will not give you enough protection. The misconception is that a concrete subfloor must be completely level to install hardwood. How to level a floor. Level floors are critical for reducing.

When you re finished vacuum the floor thoroughly with a wet dry vacuum or sweep it with a broom. Installing a floating engineered hardwood floor works well at any grade level and over most types of subfloor surfaces. Keep checking the floor with a level as you grind the concrete. For any flooring installation over concrete you should anticipate potential problems with moisture levels.

Hardwood floor installers often use the term level when referring to subfloors when actually they are meaning the term flat while it s desirable to have a level floor most homes. Fill any low spots with a cementitious leveling compound following the manufacturer s directions and allow it to dry before proceeding. Like any wood product engineered hardwood expands and contracts because of changes in moisture. Moisture can pose problems for solid hardwood floors below ground level so engineered wood floors made of layers of wood glued together are the best.

Whether you re going on to install hardwood ceramic tile or laminate one of the most important steps of any flooring project is making sure the subfloor foundation is level. Typically the floor must be level and uniform within 3 16 inch every 10 feet. A floating engineered wood flooring installation on concrete can be an excellent choice if your subfloor is below grade. Old basement slabs can crack and buckle in places.

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. When installing a basement hardwood floor the concrete must be flat so the tongue and grooves of the hardwood meet and connect. Once installed engineered wood planks look the same as solid wood planks. Grinding and repairing a concrete floor can create concrete dust so be safe and wear a respirator.

Actually the floor must be flat which allows for minor variations in the level. Check your wood flooring manufacturer s recommendations and sand any high spots with a concrete grinder.