Installing A Floating Floor Over Concrete

To help we re re sharing our tips for installing a basement flooring over a concrete surface.

Installing a floating floor over concrete.

Installing one might appear to be a frightening task but with proper preparation and planning any home improvement diyer can do it. Basement floors are notorious for becoming damp. The hardest part of the job is often cleaning and leveling the concrete base. Installing hardwood flooring over concrete hardwood floors are durable low maintenance and easy to clean.

Using a glue down floor is an option in above grade installation only since installation below. If the concrete slab is in very poor condition the best practice is to use a grinder or buffer with a concrete scraper over the entire surface before covering it with a layer of self leveling concrete. Perhaps the easiest way to improve the insulation of a floating vinyl floor on concrete is to install a thermal underlayment preferably made of cork felt or a similar material. However many homeowners are disappointed to discover that solid wood flooring cannot be installed on a concrete slab.

Laminate flooring is also fairly easy to install. If you use an underlayment without a moisture barrier it s a good idea to install a sheet of plastic below it for insurance. Read manufacturer s directions before installation to maintain warranty coverage. Sadly moisture will ruin a floor unless necessary precautions are taken.

Laminate flooring is a good alternative to wood flooring in basements. If you do take those precautions you may end up installing multiple flooring options and spending thousands of dollars. Alternatively screw rows of treated 1x4s to the concrete 16 in. Vinyl flooring is very durable and fits over most surfaces including concrete.

Lay 6 mil polyethylene sheeting over the concrete to minimize moisture migration from the concrete up into the wood flooring. It is one of the cheapest solutions and at the time of writing it could set you back just a few hundred bucks depending on the size of the area you are covering. Many types of flooring can be installed over a concrete sub floor. If you have some experience with installing flooring or are diy hobbyist it shouldn t take you more than a day to install vinyl plank flooring on concrete.

Although the flooring comes in a variety of forms planks are installable with a minimal amount of tools and measuring.