Need help: hardwood floors for home

[mrviking]

One of the big reasons installers do not install solid wood over concrete is the transition from the wood floor to the other areas that meet with the wood. You would need to build up the wood over the concrete and the carpet or tile would be much lower, causing a tripping hazard.

[whitee]

Agreed. I was planning on installing continuous wood throughout (except inside bathrooms, and maybe kitchen - Narrow galley style, which would be not a big deal to bring up to sub-floor level w/the wood). I also realize I will most certainly have to trim some door bottoms.

Originally Posted by mrviking

One of the big reasons installers do not install solid wood over concrete is the transition from the wood floor to the other areas that meet with the wood. You would need to build up the wood over the concrete and the carpet or tile would be much lower, causing a tripping hazard.

[KPB]

Originally Posted by whitee

BUMP.
Does anyone have any recommendations based on experience or close observation for: Hardwood flooring installers for a solid wood install on slab? If you would mind sharing (size, cost, outcome, etc), I'm sure many would benefit from it.

Not interested in laminate or floating installs; open to hearing from someone who chose engineered over solid/hardwood, and why, and their overall satisfaction?


Thanks in advance.

My great grandfather started a hardwood flooring company in Tampa in 1921 and it's still in business. In 2001 I left the family business and started my own. All we do is hardwood installation and sanding/refinishing (no tile, carpet, or laminate and very little pre-finished).
I'd say about 75% of the hardwood floors we install are un-finished, solid, on slab. We DO NOT glue-down a solid to slab, we only nail solids. In order to nail-down a solid wood floor to a house built on slab is by installing a plywood sub- floor first, then you can nail the hardwood to the plywood sub-floor. But before the plywood is layed down its very important to first install a moisture barrier, if not your floor will fail. Our moisture barrier consists of 30# felt paper and .6 mil. plastic (visqueen). The plywood is then shot down w/ a pneumatic gun that shoots 1 1/2" pins through the plywood and into the slab.
We use 5/8" cdx grade plywood for our sub floors, pressure treated plywood is not used because its wet (contains moisture).
The moisture barrier, plywood sub-floor and 3/4" hardwood together equals 1 1/2", most ceramic tile and thinset equals about 1/2" so that makes the hardwood about an inch higher than the ceramic tile which is really not an issue if you reduce down to it w/ a beveled edge transition. If you want the wood and tile to be flush then just install 2 layers of hardie board in the areas your installing tile to build it up. Both the wood and the tile floors will then be flush.
I'd say the biggest issue I have with the 1 1/2" thickness of the plywood and hardwood is if its being installed in an existing kitchen and the 4" toe-kick space under the cabinets will not be 4" anymore, it'll be more like a 2 1/2" space which most people wouldn't notice anyway.

Within the last 10 years they've started making some unfinished, engineered hardwood flooring that has a "wear layer" equivalent to a 3/4" solid (in other words it can be sanded and refinished several times). And since its an engineered product it can be glued down directly to the slab so you wouldn't need a plywood subfloor (eliminating the height issue).Here is an example of an unfinished, engineered hardwood. American Made Hardwood Flooring - 3/4 Inch Engineered, Solid This company is here in FL and there website is pretty good, you might want to check it out.

As far as prices here's a rough estimate for you.

$3 sq ft to supply and install moisture barrier and plywood subloor
$3 sq ft to supply 3/4" x 2 1/4" un-finished, #1 grade, red oak
$3 sq ft to install (nail down) labor
$3 sq ft to sand, STAIN, and finish w/ stain and 3 coats of polyurethane
--------------------------------
$12 sq ft. Total. (does not include base-board or shoe- mold)


If you go with a glue down, engineered you can deduct the $3 sq ft for not needing plywood sub floor but add $1 sq ft for glue and add $1 for difference in cost between engineered and solid (engineered costs a little more).

Hope this helps. Let me know if you'd like an estimate.

[whitee]

This was brilliant, comprehensive, and educational, thank you so much for taking the time to provide this info to me & others!

It is evident you know what you're speaking about, and doing. Would you please PM me your contact info, I'd appreciate it. I just had an inspection, which the inspector declined to complete (long story) on Friday, I'm trying to work around the issues, but if it's up to me, I'll be closing on this place the 1st week of May, and then depending on a number of factors, I hope to be able to make flooring one of the first reno's done (if we can get the seller to take care of the issues discovered during the partial-inspection). Thanks again.

Originally Posted by KPB

My great grandfather started a hardwood flooring company in Tampa in 1921 and it's still in business. In 2001 I left the family business and started my own. All we do is hardwood installation and sanding/refinishing (no tile, carpet, or laminate and very little pre-finished).
I'd say about 75% of the hardwood floors we install are un-finished, solid, on slab. We DO NOT glue-down a solid to slab, we only nail solids. In order to nail-down a solid wood floor to a house built on slab is by installing a plywood sub- floor first, then you can nail the hardwood to the plywood sub-floor. But before the plywood is layed down its very important to first install a moisture barrier, if not your floor will fail. Our moisture barrier consists of 30# felt paper and .6 mil. plastic (visqueen). The plywood is then shot down w/ a pneumatic gun that shoots 1 1/2" pins through the plywood and into the slab.
We use 5/8" cdx grade plywood for our sub floors, pressure treated plywood is not used because its wet (contains moisture).
The moisture barrier, plywood sub-floor and 3/4" hardwood together equals 1 1/2", most ceramic tile and thinset equals about 1/2" so that makes the hardwood about an inch higher than the ceramic tile which is really not an issue if you reduce down to it w/ a beveled edge transition. If you want the wood and tile to be flush then just install 2 layers of hardie board in the areas your installing tile to build it up. Both the wood and the tile floors will then be flush.
I'd say the biggest issue I have with the 1 1/2" thickness of the plywood and hardwood is if its being installed in an existing kitchen and the 4" toe-kick space under the cabinets will not be 4" anymore, it'll be more like a 2 1/2" space which most people wouldn't notice anyway.

Within the last 10 years they've started making some unfinished, engineered hardwood flooring that has a "wear layer" equivalent to a 3/4" solid (in other words it can be sanded and refinished several times). And since its an engineered product it can be glued down directly to the slab so you wouldn't need a plywood subfloor (eliminating the height issue).Here is an example of an unfinished, engineered hardwood. American Made Hardwood Flooring - 3/4 Inch Engineered, Solid This company is here in FL and there website is pretty good, you might want to check it out.

As far as prices here's a rough estimate for you.

$3 sq ft to supply and install moisture barrier and plywood subloor
$3 sq ft to supply 3/4" x 2 1/4" un-finished, #1 grade, red oak
$3 sq ft to install (nail down) labor
$3 sq ft to sand, STAIN, and finish w/ stain and 3 coats of polyurethane
--------------------------------
$12 sq ft. Total. (does not include base-board or shoe- mold)


If you go with a glue down, engineered you can deduct the $3 sq ft for not needing plywood sub floor but add $1 sq ft for glue and add $1 for difference in cost between engineered and solid (engineered costs a little more).

Hope this helps. Let me know if you'd like an estimate.