Hardwood Floor on Concrete Slab
Hardwood floors look very impressive. There are many of us who want to change the look of our house floors by installing hardwood floor on the regular concrete slabs. It is possible to do so, but this process is complex. However, once you finish doing it you will like it, which is guaranteed. Before you commence installing hardwood slab on your concrete floor, remember to consider a few things. These involve flatness and moisture. Before installing the hardwood slab you must check the whole concrete surface is built and ensure that it lies flat within a 3/16’’ in a measured 10 foot range radius or within a 1/8’’ in a measured 6 foot range radius. You can do this by taking a 6 foot or 10 straight foot edge and placing it in various places on the sub floor. This will enable you to notice the dips very clearly. If you notice just a couple of dips, then you can take mortar (non-shrinking) and fill the dips. There are many repair products available in the market that can help you to do this.
Once you have made sure that the floor is level by patching up the dips then you should do the moisture test to check if the concrete sub floor sits perfectly on the surface of the earth. It is advised by the experts that the concrete floor should at least be a foot measured above the top point of the outside grade. If that is not the case, then there is always the risk of moisture causing swelling of the wood later on. However, if you have a well built outside the drain, then the swelling of the wood in the future can be prevented. The moisture test is best done during the rainy season. The best way to do so is to use duct tape to down to a 2  square foot piece containing clear plastic throughout the sides. Then by suspending a 100 wattage light 18’’ above it, you have to wait for three days. If the plastic shows condensation that means there is moisture. If there is a darkening of concrete that could also signal the presence of moisture. In such a situation, it is best to consult the experts to repair it. If you install the hardwood slab floor without fixing the moisture problem, then the moisture will damage the hardwood floor. If you find out that there is no moisture issue, then you can go ahead and install hardwood slab flooring on the concrete one.
There are many ways to install hardwood floors on concrete slabs. However, you have to be very careful while installing the hardwood slabs on concrete floors, as incorrect installation could cause complete damage to the product. One small mistake could lead to problems in the near future. One convenient way to install solid strip wood floor to the concrete floor is to paste hardwood shorts straight to it. These have to be specifically milled for this. It has to be 2 feet in length, ½’’ thick and 2’’ wide. It also has to have a flat bottom.
