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engineered floor over plywood on concrete (floorguy?)

16 years ago

my contractor claims that it's easier to lay a sheet of plywood over concrete and then stapling the engineered wood planks on top of the plywood. does anyone know whether this is recommended as opposed to the glue-down method? the contractor appears to prefer the staple method because gluing is supposedly more labor intensive. are there downsides to stapling the engineered planks on top of plywood, in terms of stability and quality of the installation?

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Comments (4)

floorguy
16 years ago
It is more labor intensive to put PROPERLY put down a plywood subfloor over concrete, then it is to prep the concrete, and install a direct gluedown.

Either the guy doesn't know how to prep concrete, or he is not experienced in putting in a gluedown floor. I would look for a few more quotes and interviews with more installers.
Aileen
Original Author
16 years ago
thanks floorguy! so we did look for another contractor who does glue-down but he's recommending that we use a cork or plastic sheeting as a concrete underlayment before gluing the wood. i seem to read that if you use the glue-down method, a moisture sheeting isn't really necessary over concrete. also, since we're on the first floor, sound barrier isn't important to us. therefore, can we skip the underlayment and just glue directly over concrete?
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floorman67
16 years ago
agree 100% with floorguy.

while moisture and vapor emission penetration into the installation area is always a concern with almost any flooring product being installed on on-grade or below-grade slabs, a good quality hardwood adhesive will also take care of the vapor/moisture barrier concerns becasue they are barriers themselves if properly applied to a properly prepared substrate. An experienced glue-down hardwood installer knows this.

That said, there is no substitute for moisture testing.

btw, cork is made from wood pulp and is not a moisture control product unelss it has a specific layer applied to it to act as such.
floorguy
16 years ago
Man, where are you at, and is there a wood contractors that knows there arse from a hole in the ground??? YIKES
Sometimes in rural areas, there are not many skilled and educated on their craft, craftsmen. Some wing it, and upsell things not needed to pad there profit on labor and materials markup.

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