Installing Wood Flooring

[Maggie Williamson]

We’ve purchased Bruce wood flooring to install over vinyl over a concrete slab. First of all, do we have to rip up the vinyl. Secondly and most important, we want to install a sheet of the foam underlayment that’s sold to soften walking on the area, but we’re not sure where the foam goes. Does it go under the 1/4″ plywood underlayment that we’ll put down, or over it and under the wood flooring? Does it get glued, and if so does the wood flooring get glued to it? We assume we can’t nail the wood flooring because it’s over concrete which naturally doesn’t supply a good nailing surface. Please explain exactly what we can do. Thanks!!!

[Jay J]

Maggie,

From the last line of your post, I’m wondering if you’re getting in over your head. 🙁 I do understand that I don’t see the ‘whole picture’ here; just what I’m reading.

Anyway, you should ask for Installation Instructions from the retailer you purchased your Bruce from. At worst, contact the mfgr.. To tell you EXACTLY what you need to do implies that 1) you don’t have instructions, 2) you have them but haven’t read them, or 3) you have them, have read them, but don’t understand. Everything you need to know with the exception of what to do about ripping up, or not ripping up, the vinyl should be in the instructions & warranty paperwork. If you’re not 100% sure about what to do after you’ve read the them, then perhaps you run the risk of having spent a lot of $$$ on a product that’s not properly installed. Hence, does the floor have the ‘look’ of the price you paid? FWIW, the prep work has a lot to do with the finished job. The finished job is not necessarily relagated to the ‘look’ of the floor itself but how it’s relagated to, say, how it looks in sunlight, how it feels under you feet, how straight it is, and so on and so on. I’m sure you understand what I’m saying.

I’ve mentioned in previous posts that installing do-it-yourself laminate or engineered floors are for those folks that have confidence in their handy-person abilities. If you find yourself still a bit shakey after reading the paperwork, I suggest you find competent assistance either from a friend or a professional. Please, instead of interpreting what I’m saying as a discouragement, think of it as encouragement to be sure your new floor looks and feels like a professional job when you’re done. That’s all.

As for installing the floor over the vinyl directly, check the warranty and/or the installation instructions to be sure you don’t void the warranty. If you’re nailing the floor, obviously, you don’t want to be nailing into concrete. See where I’m headed with this? Read the paperwork (when you have it all), and if necessary, contact the retailer or mfgr with whatever you’re not sure of. Personally, w/o seeing the paperwork myself, I’m not sure what to recommend. My best to ya and if there’s more I can add, I’m able and willing.

Jay J

[Andy Roemer]

We have some wood flooring that we would like to install on a concrete slab floor. We salvaged it from some buildings that were to be torn down. Is it possible to glue it directly to the concrete? This is what we really want to do. If so what is the best product to use for this application. If this is not possible what is the correct method or best method to use without putting another sub-floor down on top of the concrete.

Thanks,

Andy

[LOUIS GUTIERREZ]

I BOUGHT SOME HARD WOOD FLOORING I LIVE IN ARIZONA THIS IS SOLID OAK AND WOULD LIKE TO GLUE IT TOGETHER SO I WON’T HAVE ANY GO UP AT THE JOINTS CAN THIS BE POSSIABLE AND DO I PUT ANY THING IN BETWEEN THE WOOD AND CONCRETE?

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