Is solid wood flooring now acceptable on slab?
TxMarti
10 years ago
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10 years agoTxMarti
10 years agoRelated Discussions
Mystery Moisture in Slab Ruined Engineered Wood Floor. Now What?
Comments (149)We had our whole house re floored in LVP In June 2021. Within a few months a portion of the kitchen started bubbling up and splitting at the seems. The flooring guy originally came and said that he believed it was sun damage coming from our glass sliding door. We ended up replacing the door with uv protection glass and the flooring guy replaced the whole kitchen floor with a moisture barrier paper underneath. During the demo they said there was possible moisture on the floor. We had a plumber out and he determined we did not have a leak. Just a few months later it started to happen again in a different area of the kitchen. When they installed the lvp originally they went right over tile, so this time he took up the tile as well so we could see what was happening. There was no obvious water or leak. We then had all our pipes looked at. Our drain pipes scooped. Inside and outside, pool, etc. Spent a ton of $ on tests. There was no leak to be found. We think we must have a foundation slab that has a high moisture content or the soil below has a lot of moisture? That’s all we could come up with. This time for the 3rd installation they put down a moisture barrier epoxy, a wood plank sub floor, and glued the lvp down to that. It made it a year after that, but we have the same problem happening again. So they have replaced the flooring in the kitchen 3 times in less than 3 years and it needs to be replaced again now. We had the manufacturer out and they of course blamed the installation. It is mind boggling. We have had so many plumbers, and flooring companies out and no one has ever agreed on what the problem is. So, I have to replace the kitchen floors again and this time need to do something other than the LVP that matches the rest of the house. I have heard about epoxy/ painted concrete flooring and thought that might flow better than tile. Do you have a knowledge as to if it would hold up to moisture fumes as that is our best guess as to the moisture problem we have? Tile is the other option and that is what was originally in the house and there didn’t seem to be any issues with tile. any ideas?...See MoreMatching engineered hw floor on slab to original solid oak?
Comments (5)Running the 3" hardwood perpendicular to the rest of the house AND the separation with STEPS will help with the slight variation in plank width. The eye will be fooled into thinking the floors are the same (assuming you can use the same species and the same finish as your original hardwoods). I know engineered floors can be glued down, but the age of your slab worries me. We've had a few people who have glued down to an old slab only to have the ground moisture come up and ruin their floors. I would be cautious and work with the floating install + vapour barrier. Just make sure the flooring company does PLENTY of subfloor prep. These old slabs that are covered in carpet are KNOWN to be "pretty rough". Be prepared to pay a premium ($2-$4/sf for concrete preparation) for the prep. And be prepared for a "general quote" that shows a range such as I've listed here. The installer won't know the 'real price' until that carpet has been removed. Be OK with that. It is normal. Don't let them "low ball" you to get the job. Make sure the company/installer clearly sets out the range for subfloor preparation. It is the thing that will point out the most "professional" of your quotes....See MoreSolid wood on slab
Comments (6)The question is: Can it be done? Sigh...the answer is 'yes'. The question really should be: *Should it be done? The answer is "No." Why not? Because the ways it can go wrong are more than the ways it can go right. The amount of money, effort, knowledge, skill, product choice (for the glue) and appropriate use for your location (sealants before the glue is put down) will all play a part. To get this to work your HIGHLY SKILLED and MASSIVELY EXPENSIVE wood flooring professional will have to make sure EVERY SINGLE base is covered and then double covered for this to work. A wrong step at ANY POINT in the production and you have a ruined floor. No. I am not joking and I assure you I am not exaggerating. A single wrong step/choice/product and you have thousands of dollars and thousands of square feet of wet moldy wood flooring. For all the heartache and money you pour into a project that has a massive chance of failure, you could have purchased a HIGH END engineered wood floor (as shown above) that can be floated and site finished. Concrete slabs in areas with high water tables (like the Gulf states or the Mississippi flood plain) were the reason why man created floating engineered hardwoods in the first place. A properly prepared concrete slab (properly flat and ready to have rigid flooring installed over top) with great underlayment and a stunning high-end engineered floor installed can feel as solid as any glue down hardwood out there. But it takes work to get it done. And that work comes with a price tag....See MoreSolid Hardwood Flooring over Concrete Slab
Comments (4)Technically you can do anything you want so long as you throw enough money at it. Just be prepared to 'give up' on wide plank options. The glue is going to be a BIG part of your installation costs. The 'limitless moisture barrier' adhesives run $2-$3/sf. A 5 gallon buck will offer 150sf of coverage (30sf per gallon). The KNOWLEDGE of your installer MUST BE top notch (ha...flooring funny...they use notched trowels for the glue...ha). The experience and knowledge of the installer is going to be the do-or-die limit of the floor. The EXPENSIVE subfloor work must be done (always over concrete). Be prepared to pay for that. Some slabs are bad enough to warrant $3/sf for preparation. Then you add in the $2/sf adhesive and the $3/sf labour costs of the HIGH end wood flooring installer who has done DOZENS of these jobs. And I mean DOZENS each year. If you think 'Clem' can get-er-done then you will be very very upset with the installation (mess of removal and redoing the job). I would stick to the narrowest plank available to you. The 2.5" strip hardwood is your best bet. You want it rift and quarter sawn for stability (more expensive that traditional hardwood)....See MoreTxMarti
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