Q: I am having a hardwood floor installed over concrete. My installer said that he uses a thick epoxy glue and installs directly over the concrete. A friend told me that I should have some kind of a barrier?
A: Is this on the fifth floor of a condominium, in a basement of a house, over a crawl space? I don’t have enough information to offer any thoughts. They should test the concrete for moisture first and proceed from there.
Tile or hardwood over concrete
Related Q: Our scored concrete floors were primed and painted and were supposed to last, but did not. What do we need to do to them in order to put down tile or hardwood?
A: I’m not a concrete expert. The first thing you need to do is to determine the reason the paint failed. Was it poor preparation or is there moisture present? You can tape some plastic sheeting down in several spots and see if you get condensation on the plastic. If that is the case, this floor may not be a great candidate for anything but ceramic. You may be able to install Delta membrane or similar product, install 3/4 ply over it and then a finished floor.
Tongue and groove pine flooring over concrete
Q imported from our old site, Face Lift Floors: What is the best method for putting down tongue and groove pine flooring over concrete?
A: If possible, construct a subfloor, with all the moisture barriers recommended beneath that first. If this is below grade, solid wood is not often recommended. You will also have to make sure this floor is well acclimated to the house.
Original / moved link https://faceliftfloors.com/q-and-a/overconcrete.php