How To Install Hardwood Floors On Concrete Using Plywood

Rather than tear out a wooden floor and installing concrete your wooden floor can be turned into a beautiful concrete floor with a concrete microtopping.

How to install hardwood floors on concrete using plywood.

Used when installing solid hardwood nail down installation is chosen due to how quickly and cost effectively it can be done. Using a minimum 5 8 cdx 3 4 recommended plywood the material is installed over the same moisture barriers mastic excluded but attached by way of concrete fasteners. Grinding and repairing a concrete floor can create concrete dust so be safe and wear a respirator a dust mask will not give you enough protection. Begin by cutting sheets to 16 inches by 8 feet or smaller panels marked 3 8 of an inch deep on back and a minimum of every 12 inches across in width.

In many homes plywood was chosen as a flooring substrate and applying concrete over plywood gives you more options for using what you already have. Typically it is sheets of plastic laid on the slab and taped at the seams with waterproof tape. Over the most recent thirty years the most popular method of installing solid 3 4 hardwood on concrete was a plywood subfloor attached to the slab illustration above. Place 16 inch planks perpendicular or diagonal to direction of flooring.

If your floor is concrete use a concrete grinder for large open areas or a 4 inch or 8 inch angle grinder with a cup wheel attachment made for use on concrete. Before installing any wood floor over concrete you ll need a moisture barrier. It will extend up the wall for about 2 to 3 inches creating a bowl where your wood floor stays dry and protected. Cut plywood to fit within 1 8 near door jambs and other obstructions.

Here s how to install flooring using the nail down method. Install the plywood after the vapor retarder is in place. Use a minimum 3 4 inch cd exposure 1 plywood sheathing 4 foot by 8 foot sheets. Installing a hardwood floor over a concrete slab.