Wood Floors Over Cement

Q: What type of flooring goes over cement subfloors?
A: There are several floors you can put over a cement subfloor. Floors that can be installed as a floating floor are your best bet for installing over concrete floors. You can also install most floors which are suitable for a glue-down installation over concrete, such as 5/16” solid hardwood products from Bruce and Westhollow. You can also look at glue-down Bamboo and Cork flooring.
I will caution you that glue-down floors are very difficult to install and I do NOT recommend this as a DIY project. If there is a floor you really want to install that can’t be floated and is suitable for a glue-down install, contact a professional to have this installed. When installing over concrete, especially in basements, I would suggest a floating floor, such as laminate, engineered bamboo and hardwoods, or cork flooring. Also, make sure you use a vapor barrier along with your underlayment when floating a floor over concrete.
Always ensure the floor you choose is approved to be installed over concrete by the manufacturer and ensure the installation is done up to the manufacturer’s standards to ensure you keep your warranty.