Fortunately a variety of flooring materials are water resistant enough to function well over a concrete slab.
Wood flooring over concrete slab.
You have two basement wood flooring options solid hardwood or engineered.
Many types of flooring can be installed over a concrete sub floor.
Some of these reasons are.
The installation process for floating wood floors is simple.
Finally the wood is installed over the barrier.
Experienced professionals pay close attention to managing moisture and minimizing wood floor expansion and contraction when preparing to install hardwood floors on concrete slabs.
Then a moisture barrier is applied over the floor such as a plastic rubber or felt barrier.
First the concrete is sealed with a sealant to block moisture.
Basement wood flooring options.
When a concrete slab absorbs moisture it can retain it for a surprisingly long time.
Laminate flooring is also fairly easy to install.
This blocks any moisture from warping the wood.
Installing hardwood floors over concrete slab.
Installing a hardwood floor over a concrete slab.
Installing hardwood on concrete is not a do it yourself project.
Lay 6 mil polyethylene sheeting over the concrete to minimize moisture migration from the concrete up into the wood flooring.
Installing floors is a difficult diy job.
Even if your home was built on a concrete slab you can still enjoy the beauty and charm of hardwood floors.
Installing the wrong kind of flooring over consistently damp concrete may encourage warping and wear over time.
How to install engineered wood over concrete.
Alternatively screw rows of treated 1x4s to the concrete 16 in.
Before you make any decision on flooring the first thing you need to do is contact an experienced professional.
Follow these steps to install an engineered wood floor in your home.
However many homeowners are disappointed to discover that solid wood flooring cannot be installed on a concrete slab.
Laminate flooring is a good alternative to wood flooring in basements.
You may not need to build a plywood subfloor on top of the concrete slab depending on the floor system you choose.
Treated plywood to the concrete with concrete screws spaced every 16 in.