How to Secure a Wood Subfloor to Concrete

When laying any type of flooring, such as tile or carpet, over a concrete floor, installing a wood subfloor underlayment over the concrete can be beneficial for multiple reasons. The wood subfloor underlay helps cover any dips in the concrete floor and also provides a means to add a waterproof barrier between the concrete and the main floor. In order to secure a wood subfloor to concrete, experts recommend using a series of attachment strips.

Instructions

Find any dips in the concrete flooring by laying a level or flat board on the floor's surface in one corner and checking for areas that don't touch the bottom board. Mark the dips that you find in the floor by circling the spots with a pencil and continue across the floor in this manner, moving the level or board a few inches at a time to check for dips in the floor.

Fill in the dips in the concrete flooring with leveling compound. Apply the compound with a putty knife and drag the knife's edge across the surface of the floor over each dip to remove the excess. Allow the compound to dry in the dips for four to five hours.

Lay the level or board over each filled dip to check for levelness with the surrounding surface. Sand over any areas of compound that sit above the surface with sandpaper until the filled spots are level.

Clean the floor's surface with a wet mop to remove dirt and dust. Allow the floor to dry completely before laying the wood subfloor.

Line the perimeter of the room with 1/2-by-3-inch or 3/4-by-3-inch boards, depending on the height from the concrete you would like your wood subfloor to sit. Use a circular saw to cut boards down to size so that the boards line each wall of the room entirely. Lay the boards flat, so that the 3-inch edge of the board is against the floor and use concrete screws at the ends of the boards to secure them to the floor.

Measure out 12 inches from the boards lining one wall of the room at each end of the wall and snap a chalk line between the marks. Lay boards along the line, with the 3-inch side against the floor again and secure the boards to the floor with concrete screws. Continue across the floor, measuring 12 inches from the last laid row of boards and laying another row of boards.

Cut insulation to fit in between the rows of wood you laid over the concrete floor. Lay the insulation between the wood strips.

Lay the wood subfloor underlay over the wood grid you created, using a circular saw to cut the pieces to size if necessary. Secure the underlay to wood strips on the floor with standard wood screws.

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