Concrete Subfloor Flatness And Laminate Flooring

Use a 6 staple pattern at the perimeter of the subfloor.

Concrete subfloor flatness and laminate flooring. And by floating we mean that it doesn t need to be nailed or glued to the sub floor. Laminate flooring is designed to be a floating floor that may be installed over virtually any type of sub floor. How to install a glued subfloor over concrete. Clearly not a good thing to hear when walking on.

Materials not suitable for a laminate installation. To test for the flatness for laying laminate flooring on an uneven subfloor lay a 10 foot long 2x4 board. Moisture content should not exceed 2 5 on a dry weight basis or the floor may fail. Wood and concrete are the idea subfloors.

When walking on your laminate flooring it is bowing down and rubbing against the locking mechanism which is making that rice krispie popping sound. Mark any areas of the floor that are higher than 1 8 inch along the floor. Self leveling underlayment products can be used on concrete floors wood subfloors that are uneven but still in decent shape and even over ceramic tile floors eliminating the task of tearing. Check for cracks and crumbling.

In some instances you might be able to install your flooring over an existing floor but it is important to check prior to installation if it is a suitable material. These higher areas on a wood subfloor require sanding and higher areas on a concrete subfloor require grinding to lower. The concrete subfloor must be sufficiently strong to safely support the flooring furniture and people in the room. In addition where a variety of floor finishes i e resilient carpet hardwood laminate and ceramic flooring are to be installed over a concrete surface such as a floor plate in high rise construction such surfaces i e.

Laminate planks are assembled together using an extremely strong mechanical locking system that creates a beautiful finished floor. Check your flooring manufacturer s recommendations to ensure you re using a proper subfloor. If any indication of a high moisture content perform a calcium chloride test. It s always best to fix the subfloor before installing any flooring.

Laminate flooring cannot ever be installed on a subfloor made of carpet or padding. Concrete as a laminate flooring subfloor perform a mat test to check for moisture. Look at the board where it touches the subfloor and see if there are any dips bumps or otherwise uneven areas. As with a floated subfloor nwfa recommends a vapor retarder for glue down subfloors when installing wood flooring over concrete.

If you have a subfloor that consists of wood on top of concrete you ll need to test both floors.