Hi All,
I need to install a hardwood or laminate floor (24′ x 30′ with a wall in the middle)over concrete. The floor was installed with a vapor barrier so i’m comfortable with the mosture level. What cannot do is install sleepers, there are stairs up on one end of the room and a step down on the other. So the only products that i have seen are “glue down or floating” . Both i have no experience with. Has anyone done much of this?
Steve
Replies
Even with a vapor barrier under the slab, it's not a guarantee of a worry-free installation. Much depends on how the barrier was detailed. That said...
Both methods (glue and float) lead you down the merry path towards an engineered, ply-structure product. Some of these are quite good, some just plain horrible. With engineered flooring you truly get what you pay for.
Realize again, that not all engineered floors that can be glued down can be glued to a slab. You'll have to get into the manufacturer's literature, or call their tech support, to get the straight info.
When working with a product I've not used before I ALWAYS call their tech support. On several occasions techniques have changed, often for the better. These changes can save you mney and heartache.
If glueing, look into Bostik's adhesives. They're just about the best out there. Sometimes flooring manufacturers will try to arm-twist you into using their proprietary adhesive. Usually, it's nothing more than a generic adhesive with a marker added in for future warranty identification. I tell them I'd like to use Bostik's, they always give me the "talk", I give them the "talk" back. In the end, I end up getting a letter from them saying that they will support future warranty claims on their flooring laid with Bostk's adhesive. A couple fewer pennies for them in product sales, a better installation for me.