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Can concrete flooring be installed over wood?
Subfloors for Concrete A decorative concrete flooring material can be installed over an existing concrete slab, a plywood subfloor or a 3/4-inch solid hardwood flooring. Concrete is a rigid material that must be installed over rigid materials. Floor joists must be perfectly straight.
Can concrete be Pour over plywood subfloor?
Many contractors will tell you that pouring concrete over wood can be a tough job to undertake. For example, plywood is notoriously difficult to pour over since the wood is very porous and won’t allow the concrete to settle evenly. You can pour concrete over plywood floors.
Can you put cement over plywood?
If you’ve got a plywood subfloor, like many buildings do, you can leave it in place and apply self-leveling concrete directly on top of it. Once the plywood subfloor is covered, just apply the finish you want to achieve the desired look.
Can you put concrete floors in an existing house?
Plain concrete slabs have served as the flooring material for basements, garages, patios, and utility areas for many years, but concrete is now also a viable material in home interiors, where it can be polished, etched, or stained to serve as the finished flooring surface.
Do I need a vapor barrier between concrete and wood flooring?
Do I need a vapor barrier for hardwood floors?” The answer is YES! Moisture can destroy hardwood flooring. It causes cupping, warping, and even mildew if not treated. You must install a moisture barrier to protect your flooring from water wicking up from below.
Is concrete a subfloor?
Concrete. Concrete subflooring uses slabs, which provide a hard, durable, steady and often smooth subfloor. Finishing floorings such as tiles and stones can be directly installed over concrete, but in most cases an underlayment is necessary. Concrete is not impervious to water or vapor.
How do you get concrete to stick to plywood?
One way to attach plywood to a concrete surface is to screw it into place with concrete fasteners. Another way that involves less strain and hard work is to glue the plywood to the concrete. This only requires a few materials and will adhere the plywood very securely in place.
What is underneath a subfloor?
Underlayment The underlayment material is installed below the floor covering and placed on top of a sub-floor. Under the visible covering, there is a layer made of soft or foam-like materials with a thickness of between 1/4- or 1/2-inch.
How do you level uneven plywood subfloor?
Using a flat-edged trowel, apply the floor leveling compound. Fill in all dips and uneven spots in the subfloor. Allow the leveler to dry as is instructed by the manufacturer’s product label. Remove hills or humps using a floor sander until the entire floor is level.
How do you fix uneven plywood subfloor?
Use Self-Leveling Compound to Correct Subfloor Wide sags and depressions in a floor sometimes can’t be adequately bridged even by sheets of plywood, so it’s best to fill these areas with self-leveling compound. When mixed with water, the compound settles into low areas and dries to a smooth, level surface.
What is cheaper concrete floor or wood?
Yes, concrete floors are generally more affordable than hardwood floors. Generally, a concrete floor costs between $2 and $15 per square foot, while hardwood floors cost between $12 and $20 per square foot, according to Floor Critics.
How thick is concrete floor in a house?
Ground-bearing concrete floor slabs should be at least 100mm thick, including monolithic screed where appropriate.
How much does it cost to install concrete floors?
For a concrete floor with a basic finish, you can expect to pay $2 to $12 per square foot. If you have an existing concrete slab that’s ready for staining, polishing, or application of a decorative coating or overlay, most decorative concrete floor installations can be quite cost-effective.
What should I put between wood and concrete?
The wood will soak up the moisture from the concrete and the wood will rot. Pressure treated wood is more resistant to rot but over time, it will have the same effect. It’s best to always have a barrier, a thin plastic foam sheet called “sill seal”, between concrete and wood.
What do you put between subfloor and underlayment?
Use building paper! Yep, put down an underlayment of 15-pound felt building paper between a wood subfloor and your hardwood planks, and you can reduce the chance of squeaky floors and control moisture.
Do you put moisture barrier under subfloor?
Vapor Barrier Within a Crawl Space Besides having a vapor barrier on top of the subfloor, it may be necessary to have it under the subfloor when the subfloor is over a crawl space. Not only will you have to replace your hardwood flooring and subfloor again but you will also have to fix the crawl space moisture issue.
How do you secure a subfloor to concrete?
To nail down the subfloor, always use a mechanical system such as a powder load or pneumatic pressure nail gun. Beginning at the center to prevent bowing, fasten the subfloor using a 12” x 12” grid on the interior and every 6-8” along the perimeter (2” from the panel edge).
What underlayment should I use on concrete?
With a concrete subfloor, you will need an underlayment that acts as a vapor barrier in order to prevent moisture from penetrating through to your laminate installation. The normal choice is a thin foam pad material made of polyethylene or polypropylene, which rolls out in sheets.
Do I need a subfloor over concrete?
If you don’t plan to use the space, there is no need for a subfloor or floor covering. Concrete or tile-over-concrete are acceptable floors for uninhabited basements. But to install any kind of floor covering—engineered wood, laminate, carpeting—basement subflooring is highly required.
