Installing Solid Wood Flooring Over Concrete.....
At Coppice & Crown, securing our flooring to batons or joists would be our preferred installation method, however we realise this isn’t always feasible in every property.
Installing our solid wood flooring over concrete is just as simple and straight-forward, however we hope this post helps explain some considerations of ahead installation to help you make an informed decision for your project.
Batons - on top of, or set within concrete
- Installing batons on top of concrete allows for a level surface. You can glue the batons down or use concrete screws which can be used to secure the batons, providing stability and support for the wood flooring. You can then fix with our advised method of C2 Fix screws straight through the face of the board and into the baton.
- The installation of batons on top of concrete may impact ceiling height, especially in rooms with low clearance. We advise a 25mm baton.
- If you’re laying a new screed you may like to think about setting the batons into the concrete as shown in the image example. This is particularly useful if laying our British wood flooring with underfloor heating.
Long Screws - straight through board into concrete with concealed heads
- Using long concrete screws to secure wood flooring directly to concrete provides a sturdy and secure installation. We would advise plugging the screw heads to ensure a seamless and polished appearance.
- It’s worth noting this method can be fairly time consuming.
Glueing
- Glueing wood flooring directly to concrete is a common method that provides a strong bond.
- Glueing wide-width planks is not a preferred method as it can be difficult to prevent movement with glue alone. This isn’t to say that it’s not achievable though. We believe that our British wood flooring will last for generations to come and so gluing the boards does inhibit future investment value, as well as making them a ‘single use’ item as the boards cannot be taken up without damage.
- For the first boards you fix down when gluing, we’d recommend using some concrete screws directly into the concrete and then plugging the holes of these. You don’t need to screw every floor board in the room, it’s just to hold some in place whilst the glue sets.
- BONA Quantum, is the glue we would recommend and would say to glue to the undersides of the board and not glue the boards together.
- Removing glued-down flooring can be challenging and may damage the concrete subfloor.
Flooring Chipboard or Ply
- Using flooring chipboard/ply on top of concrete provides a stable and level substrate for wood flooring. It also allows for insulation to be installed underneath, improving thermal efficiency.
- It can be costly in comparison to other installation methods, however arguably saves on energy efficiency in the future.
- You can fix the boards as advised with C2 Tongue Fix Screws through the face of the board.
- If using this method you need to use screws rather than nails to hold the floor down.
At Coppice & Crown we understand when it comes to installing wood flooring on concrete, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. In general we advise against secret fixings, however Tom is our expert when it comes to installation queries from historic properties to modern conversions, so please do contact us to schedule a call for our best advice.
If you are also considering your sub floor compatibility with Underfloor Heating you may like to visit our resource centre for further advice and handy installation diagrams here.
