Using Hardwood Flooring In Basements

Wood floors may warp in time as water vapor evaporates from the groundwater in the soil beneath the concrete slab.

Using hardwood flooring in basements.

Generally most people that have basements may also have wood floors above and wish to match the same look. The answer is yes and no. Bamboo engineered wood basement flooring this hardwood flooring is layered with different kinds of hardwood and often fitted with a high density fiberboard core. More homeowners are deciding to use hardwood flooring in their basements despite the risks of damage from the water vapor that may not be apparent until sometime later.

Cut plastic garbage bags into squares and then tape them to the floor in various places around the basement. At the end of that time lift the squares to see if moisture has accumulated on the bottom of the plastic. Then leave them for three days. If it has your basement may be too moist for a laminate flooring installation.

While it is possible to install hardwood flooring directly onto a concrete basement floor by gluing it down it is recommended that a more durable option such installing subfloor first or using engineered wood flooring is considered. There is simply too much moisture present in basements to comfortably install solid hardwood flooring. You do have three alternatives. Solid hardwood flooring is a super poor choice for basements.

The flooring is specifically engineered to withstand moisture and is thinner than solid hardwood flooring allowing for the installation of extra insulation. Should you consider installing hardwood floors in a basement. While it is possible to nail this into concrete using hilties or sleepers solid hardwood still isn t approved below grade. Most people realize that you need a 3 4 plywood sub floor floor to nail solid hardwood into.

Similar to plywood in its composition this type of flooring has a thin layer of genuine wood many different species are available bonded to other wood plies or composite board. Constructed with perpendicular layers of wood engineered wood is more resistant than traditional hardwood which is typically one solid layer to moisture damage and the warping caused by temperature shifts. The first two are made from wood but considered to be more moisture stable than solid hardwood. For instance many existing homes in northern climates have traditional 2 red oak strip flooring above basements in the main living area.

The third is not wood but it looks amazingly like wood. According to flooring manufacturer armstrong engineered hardwood may be an option in some basements due to its multi ply structure.