My flooring supplier suggested Bostik Moisture Barrier and Bostik’s Best Adhesive (moisture cured urethane) to apply flooring to a slab on grade. He said results would be equivalent with either 3/8″ engineered flooring, or 3/8″ solid wood flooring. My question: Is he right? I would prefer to use 3/8″ solid rustic maple rather than 3/8″ engineered maple, simply because I prefer the look of the natural wood. Am I making a mistake? Would I be happier with the engineered product? I live in Los Angeles, so moisture is not a regular problem, although every ten years or so, we have a very wet winter during which there might be some moisture migration through the slab — though, of course, the Bostik Moisture Barrier is supposed to take care of that problem. I am limited to using 3/8″ material in order to avoid a large change in floor level between rooms (if I went to 3/4″ solid wood flooring, I would need a plywood subfloor on the slab, then the wood, making the level change between rooms 1 1/2″, which I want to avoid. Thanks for any thoughts on this.
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Replies
I'd lean more towards an
I'd lean more towards an engineered wood product, than the solid wood. The engineered wood products, are in most cases indistinguishable from solid woods.
In the 3/8-in thickness, I would be concerned with moisture movement in the solid wood, far more than I would with the engineered wood product.
Do you plan on sticking the flooring right to the slab? In other words, no plywood first?
It sounds like you are trying to decide between solid and laminate rather than solid and engineered. Engineered flooring IS natural wood - it is just a plywood instead of solid.