Gluing down solid 3/4" 3" wide Brazilian Cherry Floor to Concrete
susanlynn2012
9 years ago
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rayrose
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agogregmills_gw
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Please Post Floor Pics of 5' wide boards or 3.25' wide boards
Comments (9)I stopped to see a Merbau 5" wide floor 3 miles from my home in a store installed in a showroom which has the mosaic look in colors and I was surprised it was 5" wide since when all the boards were installed nicely, it was beautiful and did not look wide. I am happy now. This floor was the same as my neighbors that is floated. I took my shoes off and it made me realize that I would be happy with a floated or glued down floor after all. The install price will be about $1000 more for the Merbau than the great price I got for the BR-111 Brazilian Cherry so I will try to stop obsessing about what the floor will look like and anticipate soon this always dirty beige carpet will be gone and I will have a pretty hardwood floor....See MoreBrazilian Cherry flooring
Comments (12)He is a complaint I have filed with the Better Business Bureau: Purchased Home Legend Brazilian Cherry Flooring and 2 weeks after installation, bubbling and peeling of the finish was noticed. The original flooring was purchased from Home Depot in Westfield Ma. on October 24, 2014. The cost of the flooring was $2,451.44 not including installation, this was a special order product and was delivered to the home late November/early December. As recommended by the flooring manufacturers guidelines the flooring was allowed to acclimate to the home. We actually well exceeded the recommendations by leaving the floor in the home for several weeks. Within two weeks of installation we noticed some small peeling along the cut edge of the flooring. This was noticed as we were installing the baseboard trim. At first we thought this was just an issue near the edge and was not concerned. But as we were completing the trim work, more peeling areas were noticed. In January 2015 we took pictures of the flooring issues and reported the problem to Home Depot at the Pro Desk. During the process we have worked with Christine and the store manager Michele L Minniear. We have also worked with Celeste from the Home Depot National Center and she has been very helpful, but after 4 months the issue has not been resolved. The areas peeling included along the edge of the boards, along with areas that started peeling/bubbling in the middle of the boards as well. After several weeks of working with Home Depot they sent out a flooring inspector and were told that there is no defect in the floor but it was caused by the humidity in the home. We were never allowed to see the report and are told the report is the property of Home Depot. Since this report we have been documenting the temperature and humidity both on the first floor (were the flooring is installed) and the basement. This documentation consists of two meters left in two locations 24 hours a day for several months now. Pictures of the meter along with a newspaper and the date have been taken over this time period and the temperature and humidity levels have been within the manufacturer's guidelines. The flooring has continually become worse over the last 4 months. Although we are not allowed to see the report, we have been told there is too much humidity in the house causing the floor to swell, but when I questioned Christine asking her to clarify, the story changed to the floor shrinking as the floor has some spaces between the boards. So I am not sure what is correct and what is not. As a carpenter for many years, having installed thousands of square feet of pre-finished flooring and working with wood it is normal for flooring/wood to expand and contract due to the temperature and humidity. Over the last several months the temperature and humidity have remained steady. We have noticed this issue is common with Home Legend LLC. There are many complaints against the flooring and it is routine for them to deny any flooring defect. The home in question also has Brazilian Cherry Flooring (one room over) from a different manufacturer and was installed nine years ago with no such issues. At this time we are expecting to to file legal action against Home Dept, The Store Manerger and Home Legend LLC as they continually blame the conditions of the home for the defects of the floor....See More3/4 solid wood over concrete subfloor
Comments (1)Solid wood expands and contracts as its moisture content changes. The moisture would absorb from the ground, through the slab, causing the individual boards to get wider, pressing against each other with great force. Theoretically this could loosen some of the boards, potentially buckling the flooring. It would also tend to crush some fibers along the edges of the boards, so that cracks would open between them should they dry out for some reason. If moisture problems were bad enough you could be creating a haven for mold between concrete and wood. I'm a woodworker but not a flooring expert, so take the following with that in mind: You could get a sense of how much moisture is coming through your slab by taping a piece of plastic sheeting to it, duct tape all the way around, for a day or so. This is a test I've seen recommended when people are considering painting a concrete floor. If moisture condenses under the plastic then you have a significant vapor transmission issue that should pretty much tell you not to put any flooring down at all unless you improve your foundation drainage. If it passes that test, perhaps you could get away with it. I still think I'd want some sort of moisture barrier seperating wood from concrete, perhaps a plastic membrane as is sometimes used for tile, or even paint if you're on a budget and feeling lucky. That's the direction I'd head in, but remember: not a flooring expert....See MoreNeed best advise on how to install solid brazilian walnut on concrete
Comments (6)There are areas in TX where gluing down over cement is super tricky. Ground water tables can be VERY high (almost as bad as Florida). This ground water can RUIN a hardwood floor that is glued to a concrete slab. For this reason, glue down hardwood over cement is SUPER tricky. You don't have to live in a swamp to have moisture issues that destroy your hardwood. That's why man created floating engineered hardwood. The concrete MUST be TESTED (I would pay the $$$$ to have all 4 moisture tests done = Calcium Chloride test, in-dwelling moisture probes, surface moisture meter and pH/alkalinity testing). With all of these tests, the NWFA Certified flooring installer (ahem...most expensive guy on the block who knows exactly what to look for and how to deal with it) can then go ahead and choose an adhesive that fits both the HARDWOOD and the SLAB. And to be clear, these high-end adhesives run about $3/sf. If you need something "special" for the oily Ipe, then you could be pushing that number up to $4/sf. And that's JUST the glue. Labor is added onto that (go ahead and add another $3-$5 for that...you should be safe). The subfloor prep is another cost that is added onto that already EXCITING price tag I've set out. Preparing concrete slab, in Texas, to receive a solid glue down hardwood can add several more $ per square foot. At this point, the cost of the hardwood will only be HALF of what the job will eventually end up being. Good luck. This is either going to be a massive upgrade or an epic fail. There are no in betweens when gluing down hardwood over concrete in Texas....See Moresusanlynn2012
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agosusanlynn2012
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agosusanlynn2012
9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
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