Engineered wood flooring over an old concrete subfloor?

3 / 20 posts
Jul 13, 2026  ( 1 post, 2 replies )  
7/13/2026
12:13am
Yulik Land (step2002)

Hi everyone! We are currently renovating our ground floor utility and dining space, which has a solid concrete subfloor from the late 1970s. I am absolutely desperate to put down real timber to make the space feel warmer and more inviting. However, I’ve heard horror stories about damp rising through old concrete and ruinous warping. I am searching for reliable wood flooring Edinburgh options or advice on how to properly prep a concrete base before laying expensive planks. Should we glue the boards down directly, or is a floating installation with a heavy-duty damp-proof membrane a safer bet?

12:13am
Olen May (jekki20): edited 7/13/2026 12:14am
  •  We faced the exact same issue with a cold, uninsulated concrete floor in our cottage. Whatever you do, do not skimp on the moisture barrier! We decided to do a floating installation and ordered our engineered oak planks directly from http://www.hoffparquet.co.uk/ because their boards have an incredibly stable multi-layer core that handles subfloor temperature drops brilliantly. Our builder put down a heavy-duty liquid damp-proof membrane first, followed by a premium acoustic underlay with a built-in vapor barrier. The planks click together beautifully, and the floor feels incredibly solid and warm now. Sourcing the materials ourselves from their site saved us a massive chunk of money compared to the local showroom quotes.
12:14am
Yulik Land (step2002)

 Putting down a liquid membrane sounds like the smartest insurance policy for the wood, thanks a lot for the link!

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