First, I would properly test the concrete for moisture vapor emissions(vapors cannot be seen or felt) I would then flatten the concrete substrate to the strict manufactures specification of 1/8" in 6 feet, Some, like Owens Plank, is 1/8" in 8 feet. Use a straight edge 8 feet or longer to varify. A stretched string line can also be used, to tell you where you need to grind down the high spots first, and fill the low spots. Now your substrate is prepped, you may need a troweled on moisture barrier membrane, if the concrete tested high for moisture vapor emissions. Following the directions to the letter. Now, all the doorjambs need to be undercut, so the flooring slides beneath them. It looks hacked in when I see someone try to cut around door jambs and trim it out with shoe molding... TACKY!!! Now, find your longest straight wall in which you plan on starting from. On both ends of the starting wall, dry lay about 4 or 5 rows, if it is plank flooring, and about 10 if it is strip flooring. And push them up to the wall and adjust for your expansion gap. Make a mark on the substrate. Do the same on the other end of the room. Now pop a string chaulk line, between your marks. That is your straight, and square starting line. Now, trowel out your glue, making sure you have a rag with mineral spirits on it, handy to wipe fingers and any smudges of glue(this is where most pros and DIY'er mess up and get glue everywhere) Spread/comb out, the adhesive, not leaving any big blobs, not going over your popped line. Don't get so much glue spread down your run, that it sets up before you get wood into it. Since this is your first time, about 10 feet spread in your popped run at a time, and then finish spreading the area, when you get down there to it, and can't go any farther until you do. Work your way from your line back to the wall, using blue tape, to keep it all tight. Once you get that band completed. Measure out so you can pop another line, but this line is just a glue control line. Measure out about 2-3 feet at a time, so you can reach across or jump across your spread glue, if needed. Once you get going, production will go faster.

If I do convince my hubby that this is something that would work in our guest room it will most definitely be stained. We're both wood lovers. I being down right obsessive about it, so much so that I have folders of different wood species on my computer. The thought of covering any woodgrain (other than some knotty pines or low grain woods) up with paint brings me close to hyper ventilating and my eyes start to twitch. I'm a bit embrassed to write that, but it's true. If you could have only seen me recently when at a local thrift store I spotted a vintage Lane Acclaim cocktail table and student desk made from beautifully grained walnut (my favorite non exotic wood species) and ash, you'd know just what I'm talking about. (I'll started another thread when I get a chance to take some pictures for all of you that understand that feeling.) That being said, I don't mind anyone posting about the painted plywood floors on this thread, since others may very well be interested. Just didn't want anyone to feel hurt that I didn't rave about the ones they posted. You could very well feel the same way about stained wood that I do painted wood...though I can't imagine why. Just kidding. Kashmi, I love it when you can recycle materials from a reno into something else. I want to find a way to use the old stairs (2x10's) into something instead of just tossing them. Most likely rustic benches or tables for one of our porches. Pesky, I completely understand about life getting in the way. We've been in our "new" home for just just short of eight and a half years now and just two weeks ago finally got the construction grade stairway replace with beautiful solid oak floors. Still have finished touches left to do, but the stairs are in! YAY! We too have oak hardwood floors through much of the main level and hallway of our home. Which is why I'm not sure hubby will go for this. At least he didn't pooh pooh it when I mentioned it to him the other day. Jeane Gallo I'm not sure how those would work if there were doors in the room since they're so thick. You might have to cut off the bottom edge of the door so they'd open. Cindyloo123, if we do decide to go this way I'll be sure to share pictures. It will be awhile before we have time with the wedding and other summer activities though. You'll have to be patient. forboystoo, That's where I got the second picture from in my original post. I get that error message every single time I post to a thread I started. bluemoon, I think you'd need a moisture barrier of some sort. lauriedeee, here's a picture of screen molding...

Engineered is real wood and if you look around, you can find unfinished engineered, so you can have it finished in place and not have the bevels if that is important to you. I didn't look at the videos provided so this might have been covered but here in Texas almost all houses are built with slabs at grade level and most of the new ones have wood on the ground floor.. There are several acceptable ways to do it: Plywood subfloor nailed to concrete and solid wood nailed to that (solid wood probably not as good in your case, these slabs all have vapor barriers under the slab, which you won't) or engineered glued to the plywood subfloor Engineered wood glued to slab (do a calcium chloride or other approved moisture test first) Vapor barrier and engineered wood floated over that. Many of the engineered woods allow floating installation, you have to glue the tongue and groove together. Different products are labeled for different types of installation, you have to be sure to check what they are labeled for. Find a reputable, knowledgeable NWFA installer, get them to do the moisture tests (the glue down a piece of plastic is not considered reliable) and then have them spell out your options. Now guess how I know all this? :-)

^^^HA! Snap! Millworkman hits it on the head...AGAIN! Your 'dude' (sigh...I'm telling you the guy with 2 years of experience has yet to have a MASSIVE fail that costs him his HOUSE!) is not making allowances for the gap (vertical gap....between the old house and the new house = gap between the wood and the concrete). That gap is going to move. Actually it isn't the gap that moves...it is the WOODEN side of the house that moves. Wood expands and contracts in the presence of moisture. That means between the seasons that gap will expand (in the dry winter months) and contract (during the humid summer air). Tile is NOT happy with this type of expansion and contraction. There will be issues with tile in the breeze way. I guarantee it. I would get this in writing. It will say, "I, Joe Schmoe floor guy with 2 years of experience, hereby promise to remove and replace all flooring that fails because of my installation technique. I promise I will not leave the town, state or country upon notice of complaint. I will guarantee my work for five (5 years). After such time I will offer prorated discounted repair service for the next 10 years should this floor fail due to my installation techniques." I can guarantee the installer will not agree to this. Because several hundred square feet of failed tile work could bankrupt his little business. This only works if you FLOAT a wood over a FLOATING wooden subfloor like Dricore ($1.35/sf + $1.65/sf labour = $3/sf). This STILL REQUIRES the two floors to be leveled out. This is a MAJOR renovation to get your vision to work. Again, you've been given the limitations of your situation. What you 'want' is not something your budget NOR your installer can handle. Go ahead and get 3mm cork underlay over top of the wooden floor...now float a wood floor over the concrete and over the cork. You will have to leave drop in a T-moulding at the gap...and you are DONE. This is what the HOUSE is able to do. Just because you 'want it' doesn't mean it is feasible. You could spend $10/sf on this area. You could hire a TOP flooring pro - not a well meaning 2 year pro. You could also shrug your shoulders and say, "Nah. I'll just to it the way the HOUSE wants it done. It's easy and FULLY ACCEPTABLE in the world of design and flooring." Go ahead and ask your installer, point blank, if he can AFFORD to pay for a complete redo of your home's flooring WHEN his plan fails???? If he looks shocked and angry, you know the answer is "Hell Naw!" You can swim upstream against the current and curse it every time you have to paddle harder or you can float with it and end up on the other side without any physical (or financial) exertion at all...other than keeping your beer from falling off the inner tube! It's your call....but the house has spoken.