How to Install Wood Floors Below Grade
One of the challenges of installing a floor in a room that's below grade is that the subfloor in those cases is usually concrete, so you can't nail anything do it. Also, there's always the chance it will take on water. A floating wood floor is the perfect solution, because it doesn't attach to anything, but rather it just sits on a layer of plastic foam underlayment. And if the worst happens and the area floods, you can pull it right up. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Bucket
- Water
- Mop
- Towel
- Plastic underlayment rolls
- Underlayment tape
- Razor knife
- Floating floorboards
- Wood shims
- Miter saw
- Table saw
Instructions
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1
Clean and dry the floor surface, using a bucket of water, a mop and a towel. Roll out your plastic foam underlayment in strips, taping them together at the edges with underlayment tape. Cover the whole room.
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2
Set the first course of boards along the starting wall, setting them so the grooved sides face the wall. Connect the boards together at the ends, snapping them in place. Set wood shims on their thick ends between the boards the wall to create a space there that will allow the flooring to expand. Use a miter saw to cut the last piece in the course so it fits against the side wall.
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3
Lay the next course of boards alongside the first, snapping the long sides together. Arrange the boards so the ends don't line up between courses, cutting the ends as needed on the miter saw. Work your way across the whole floor.
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4
Set the next courses alongside the first, connecting the boards by their long edges and making sure the ends don't line up between courses. Build the floor out across the whole room, cutting the ends as needed.
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5
Cut the boards for the final course lengthwise on a table saw, so they will fit against the wall while leaving a small gap here (about 1/4 inch). The gaps by the walls will be covered up when you install your floor trim.
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