Installing Engineered Hardwood Flooring on Concrete

Prepare your slab. Remove any old flooring and clean the slab. The slab must be level for the flooring, so if you have any dips you will need to use some floor leveler; if there are any bumps, grind or sand them down. Clean any oil or paint with an acid cleaner, and if you are using a new slab it needs 60 to 90 days to cure. Test for moisture by taping down a 15-by-15-inch piece of polyethylene plastic to the floor for 24 to 48 hours. If there is condensation under it you will have to let it dry longer. If there are any water or moisture problems with the slab, do not use any type of wood flooring on it until the problems have been resolved and the slab is dry. Then roll on a concrete sealer that also acts as a vapor barrier. Follow the manufacturer's directions as to how many coats are needed for your specific slab.

Bring the flooring into the room where it is going to be installed. Allow it to sit in there for four to seven days before installing. This will give the flooring time to acclimate itself to the conditions in the room. You may want to start laying a few rows out to get an idea of how to offset the pieces so none of the seams of the wood meet.

Lay out the first few rows the way you want them installed, and either back them out of the way or stack them so you can get the boards you want quickly. The flooring adhesive only gives you about 10 minutes to get the boards down before it starts to set. You can also go ahead and snap on a chalk line to start the first row of wood ½ inch from the wall straight across.

Place adhesive on the floor and spread out with a notched trowel. Only put enough down that you know you can get the boards laid within 10 minutes. Start at the longest wall and put the groove of the first pieces toward the wall. Use shims or wedges on the side walls to keep a half-inch gap between the end of the board and the wall. Make sure the sides of the wood butt up against each other tight.

Install the second row by laying a groove right in front of the tongue of the first board and taping it in with a rubber mallet on top of the board. If you are having a problem getting them tight you can use a scrap piece of flooring and put it up against the new board with the groove over the tongue and tap the scrap. Never hit your tongue or groove of the piece you are installing or you could damage it. Move down the line and finish the row. Repeat in this fashion until you have a few rows finished.

Run a piece of tape across several rows of flooring. Use some wide painter's tape and run it across the rows to keep them from shifting out of place. You should leave it on between 6 and 24 hours to allow the adhesive time to set up. When you install the last row of flooring you may need a pry bar to push the piece tight onto the tongue of the piece before.

Remove your shims and tape and install your baseboard.