Installing Hardwood Flooring on Concrete Flooring, Condo

slickwilly789 · 10-07-2010, 10:14 AM

Hey everyone.

I hope someone can give me some good advice before I start to lay my flooring down in a high rise condo.

I live on the second floor of an older condo building. The flooring in the apartment is ~1" thick concrete over a steel plate. Being an older building, it was easier to just try and match the existing height of the flooring, 1" above the concrete slab. That being said, after talking to the flooring reps at the store, they said I could lay 1/2" ply down and either glue or nail the flooring.

I'm planning on laying down Brazilian Cherry flooring, 3" wide x 3/8 thick.

My questions are as follows:

1.) Do I need to be worried about moisture content from the concrete slab, since I'm above grade? I cannot seem to find any information regarding this on the net.

2.) I'd prefer a nailed floor, over a glued floor. That being said, which is better nails or staples? Do I need to be concerned about the nails or staples... bouncing off the concrete?

JazMan · 10-08-2010, 09:53 PM

Hi Willy,

Although I've installed and sold hardwoods I don't consider myself an expert. Before you do anything you need to find what the manufacturer has to say about this type of installation. It is obviously an engineered wood and the color and/or species of the wear layer is cherry. What brand and which series is it?

OK, I think there's a misunderstanding concerning your substrate. That 1" of "concrete" is probably not concrete. Most likely it's gypsum, the best known brand is Gypcrete. If so there's special products and procedures as outlined in the wood makers instructions.

You will not be installing plywood over gypsum or concrete. Moisture content is always a concern, but again you need to read the directions.

Flooring reps at the store....? Do you mean a real flooring store or a big box?

Jaz