What do they do to install hardwood floors over a cement slab floor? We have
a tri-level home and I would love to do the family room in the lower level.
So, in reality it is as if it were in a basement. Is this possible and what
has to be done to the floor before laying wood? Or should I be looking at
some of the things like Pergo? The room can be damp at times despite a
dehumidifier being used in the adjoining unfinished room.

Thanks

We installed Pergo over a concrete slab about 3 years ago. There is a
bit of preparation involving leveling and then installing a vapor
barrier. I'm sure you can find this on pergo.com .

We're still happy with the Pergo. It gets a lot of traffic although we
put down a runner rug most of the time.

NB: Pergo is about 2 times as expensive as the "per sq ft" numbers
indicate. You have to buy shoe molding, glue, spacers, thresholds,
tools (missing from the kit), acetone, WhisperWalk foam, poly ethylene
vapor barrier.

Good luck.


Autumn wrote:
What do they do to install hardwood floors over a cement slab floor? We have
a tri-level home and I would love to do the family room in the lower level.
So, in reality it is as if it were in a basement. Is this possible and what
has to be done to the floor before laying wood? Or should I be looking at
some of the things like Pergo? The room can be damp at times despite a
dehumidifier being used in the adjoining unfinished room.

Thanks

Autumn wrote:
What do they do to install hardwood floors over a cement slab floor? We have
a tri-level home and I would love to do the family room in the lower level.
So, in reality it is as if it were in a basement. Is this possible and what
has to be done to the floor before laying wood? Or should I be looking at
some of the things like Pergo? The room can be damp at times despite a
dehumidifier being used in the adjoining unfinished room.

Thanks

NOFMA.org has a pdf on installing hardwood floors.
It includes comments on concrete slabs.
TB

"Autumn" wrote in message
. com...
What do they do to install hardwood floors over a cement slab floor? We
have a tri-level home and I would love to do the family room in the lower
level. So, in reality it is as if it were in a basement. Is this possible
and what has to be done to the floor before laying wood? Or should I be
looking at some of the things like Pergo? The room can be damp at times
despite a dehumidifier being used in the adjoining unfinished room.

Regular hardwood is not recommended without a lot of prep work like
sleepers, insulation and vapor barriers. Consider using an engineered
hardwood floor like www.mannington.com Mine still looks perfect after 2
years now.

"Autumn" wrote in message
. com...
What do they do to install hardwood floors over a cement slab floor? We
have a tri-level home and I would love to do the family room in the lower
level. So, in reality it is as if it were in a basement. Is this possible
and what has to be done to the floor before laying wood? Or should I be
looking at some of the things like Pergo? The room can be damp at times
despite a dehumidifier being used in the adjoining unfinished room.

Thanks

You have to use an engineered wood flooring over concrete, Basically the
core is like plywood. You glue it down . you can use the same flooring in
the rest house over a wood floor it is nailed or stapled. You might have to
level any low spots. Pergo is a floating floor sits on a foam pad, snaps
together. I don't think it matters what it goes over. IMO no comparison to
wood . Most good flooring suppliers should be able to give you a more
detailed description. Each manufacture has an installation guide.

installed engineered flooring (Bruce) directly over concrete pad. Looks
perfect after 12 years.

Pergo looks like pergo, real wood looks like real wood.

--
Walter
www.rationality.net
-
"Autumn" wrote in message
. com...
What do they do to install hardwood floors over a cement slab floor? We
have a tri-level home and I would love to do the family room in the lower
level. So, in reality it is as if it were in a basement. Is this possible
and what has to be done to the floor before laying wood? Or should I be
looking at some of the things like Pergo? The room can be damp at times
despite a dehumidifier being used in the adjoining unfinished room.

Thanks

Autumn wrote:

What do they do to install hardwood floors over a cement slab floor? We
have a tri-level home and I would love to do the family room in the lower
level. So, in reality it is as if it were in a basement. Is this possible
and what has to be done to the floor before laying wood? Or should I be
looking at some of the things like Pergo? The room can be damp at times
despite a dehumidifier being used in the adjoining unfinished room.

Below grade personally I'd tile it. Tile that has been under water is a lot
happier than wood of any kind that has been under water.

If you want a warm surface you can do radiant heat under the tile.

Thanks

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

"higgledy" wrote in message
ups.com...
If you put down a Pressure treated, sub-floor first, you can install
real hardwood floor in the basement.



Should also have a vapor barrier and insulation between the sleepers.