How to Install Hardwood Floors Directly on Concrete
Hardwood floors are normally nailed into a wood subfloor, but that obviously won't work if you're dealing with a cement subfloor. If you've got a concrete slab or similar material and you want it covered with real hardwood, your best option may be a glue-down floor. See your floor dealer for the right kind of flooring, and start with a clean, dry, unbroken concrete base. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Flooring adhesive
- Notched trowel
- Plastic spacers (½ inch)
- Hardwood flooring (rated for glue-down installation)
- Miter saw
- Table saw
Instructions
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1
Spread adhesive over side of the cement floor where you want to start, using your notched trowel. Don't start along the wall that contains the entrance. Spread the adhesive so it covers the surface end to end, coming out about 2 feet from the wall.
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2
Lay a floor board in the adhesive at one end of the floor, alongside the wall, in the glue. The grooved side of the board should face the wall. Put spacers between the board and the wall, creating a gap to allow the wood of the floor to move with climate changes.
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3
Set the second board against the end of the first one, linking them tightly at the ends. Repeat for each board, running them in a course alongside the wall, putting in spacers as you do. Cut the last board on a miter saw to fit at the end.
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4
Lay the next course alongside the first, connecting the boards along their long sides. Repeat course by course, working your way across the floor and cutting the end boards on your miter saw. Arrange the boards so the ends don't line up between courses.
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5
Continue laying courses until you are too close to the far wall and running out of space to work. Leave yourself a path out of the room.
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6
Let the adhesive set for eight to 10 hours. Install the final section when you can stand on the first laid section. Use a table saw to cut the boards of the final course along their lengths, to fit next to the ending wall with a ½ inch gap. Floor trim will cover the gaps later.
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