basementfloorhardwood-floor
I live in Oakville, Ontario and have a detached home with an unfinished basement with concrete floor. I would like to put hardwood flooring in part of the basement. Instead of tongue and groove floors, can I lay down mortar and then solid wood planks (1 in. thickness, 8 ft. length) on top of the concrete to get the hardwood flooring?
What do I need to be aware of / careful about? Any tips / suggestions (moisture control, securing, home resale value) would be greatly appreciated.
Type of flooring dictates how "perfect" it needs to be, carpet being the least work. Vinyl is flexible so just no real drastic changes.
Below are the basic steps to fixing uneven concrete floors.
Use a straight edge and mark high and low spots. (Really exaggerated case in this image)
Or if you like gadgets, Bosch has a new laser out that lets you easily mark the uneven parts.
You use a grinder (with dust mask and safety goggles) for high spots. You can rent a large floor grinder or get on your hands and knees.
and SLC (self-leveling compound) in low spots. For SLC just follow the manufacturer's instructions. If the floor is really bad you may want to pour the stuff over the whole thing.
Prescriptive nailing schedules are part and parcel of flooring or wall exteriors. In both above grade situations, the goal is to create a unitized structure. Wall panels properly attached become stressed members that resist lateral racking forces.
In the basement, over a poured concrete slab, no structure enhancement is necessary. Therefore any fastening that produces a secure, trip free (smooth)surface is the goal.
It somewhat depends on what the final surface will be. Floating laminate floors would work over floated ply. Heavy cabinets or a workshop might work better over a more secured surface.
Best Answer
Yes, but.
There are so many issues with putting wood flooring at or below grade that I never like to see it done. The main issues are that wood swells with humidity, and humidity varies with seasons and other situations like rainfall. Most people think that their foundations are moisture-proof, but that is absolutely untrue with any masonry product, especially concrete. So the first thing you're going to need to do is a moisture content test on your concrete. These can be purchased at a hardware or flooring supply store, and you can send the test off for $10 US or so to a lab.
The next thing you have to determine is how to affix it. Around here in Texas, with slab-on-grade construction being most common and cellars being relatively uncommon, it's most likely to be affixed with construction or flooring adhesive. The main problem with affixing it this way is that it does not allow the wood to flex, expand, or contract without breaking loose from the adhesive or potentially cracking boards. I have seen some flooring installers in the Great White North (as we refer to the land you come from) who put down several inches of rigid foam insulation covered with a tongue and groove plywood product and affix the wood flooring to that. I would research that option -- I have no idea what it takes and if it's practical for your home, but I know that it would remove some of the height from your basement. With a father who's 6'4", and a best friend who's 6'7", that would be of concern to me.
The last and final thing you need to consider is what you're going to do if your basement ever floods. Wood floors are ruined by flooding. Rooms that are below grade are prone to flooding either due to rising water tables or infiltration from above, including from inside the home.
Instead of hardwood, I would strongly recommend that you look at ceramic tile that is designed to emulate hardwood flooring. It will provide the look that you're seeking without all of the problems. With an in-floor heating system, it could also provide the feel that you're going for at a lower end-cost than wood flooring.