Hard Floor, no doubt, is the first and foremost choice of everyone when it comes to the installation of highly durable flooring at home space which could give an adorable look. But, remember that wood and water cannot work together, which means an installation of hardwood floor on a concrete slab can cause many complexities, and it might result in the loss of your money.
Here, in this article, you will get to know some major problems regarding the installation of this flooring on a concrete slab, so that you could make a standard choice. Wood is more likely to absorb moisture even from the air whenever the humidity level rises. And when the humid level gets low, it releases moisture into the air.
Some Major Problems Caused By The Installation Of Hardwood Floor On A Concrete Slab
Concrete is, generally, more likely to hold and absorb the water. Therefore, the installation of this type of flooring over such a surface is not a good idea, obviously. It is recommended to install hardwood floors only if you or the professionals going to install them over a concrete slab can handle the moisture easily. Following are some major problems that you might face after the hard flooring installation over a concrete slab.
1. Cupping is the Quotidian Problem of Hardwood Floor
Most often, people face that their hard laminate flooring is blowing up from some areas in no time, after getting the installation process done. The main reason for this immediate damage, i.e. cupping, is that the concrete slab might be new or the moisture level is unacceptable for the hardwood floor.
You can put a compatible adhesive on the slab (if it is new), before lodging the floor covering over it. Moreover, make sure you eliminate the excess water, and the surface is dry enough when you do the installation process. Also, install a moisture barrier between the flooring or concrete slab.
2. Cracks And Separation of Boards Might Occur
No matter whether you have installed the barrier between wooden flooring or the concrete slab. Or even that you have checked the wood that is going to get installed over concrete has enough moisture content. There comes a time when the hardwood floor starts losing its moisture content, basically in winters, when the humid level rises.
As a result, the boards will start getting separated from each other, or there might be some cracks that you will notice, after a certain period of time. You can avoid this situation by controlling the temperature of your place. Although this will not 100% consummate your problem, it can minimize it to a certain level.
3. Crowing Is The Worst Situation
Crowning is just the opposite of cupping. In cupping, your floor starts to blow up from some areas (basically from the edges). On the other hand, in crowning, your beautifully designed hardwood flooring starts to blow up from the center (higher than the edges), creating the worst situation. The most common reason for this situation is the moisture imbalance.
Another reason for this situation to happen is that there might already be cupping happening, and the floor is just sanded down to give a smooth look. This sanding process can, later on, cause the crowning, while lifting up the edges of the boards, as well. And, in return, the flooring will start giving an unworthy look to your entire space.
4. Buckling Of Your Hardwood Flooring Can Occur
Generally, buckling is not the most common problem that is faced by everyone. It occurs due to extreme moisture exposure for a certain period of time. The hardwood vinyl flooring starts to lift up from some places, several inches above the subfloor. It will be better if you caught that situation earlier, as spot replacement or repairing might be possible at that time.
All you need to do when you notice the buckling, remove the boards from those places, and remove all the excess water. Then, let the floor dry by allowing the air to circulate through the floor. When you notice that the floor is dry enough, you can then reinstall the boards and let your floor enhance the beauty of your home space.
5. The Floor Could Get Much Noisy
The floor could be noisy and cause you irritation after getting installed. It is due to the wrong installation process. As the lodging of hardwood floor on the concrete slab is quite a challenging task. It usually happens when the unacceptable variations of the floor did not get compensated (left some hollow spaces while installation).
In order to avoid this situation, you must check the variations before getting the installation process of wood flooring over the concrete slab done. If there is variation greater than 3/16(which is unacceptable). You can also resolve this issue by simply doing the self-leveling underlayment process. Or, you can opt for the most common way, which is the use of an old buffer to flatten the floor.
To Sum Up
At the end of this article, it is now safe to say that you are going to make a standard choice. And, considering all these very problems, you are going to take all the necessary precautions, while getting the installation of a hardwood floor on a concrete slab. These major problems could result in the loss of your money and time, as well, so it will be better if you take all the precautionary measures.
