<p>Watching this thread with interest, as the ONE room I want to put hardwood in has a slab underneath. Right now there is carpet and padding right on top of the slab… we were told there was hardwood under there but when I discovered the giant hole in the carpet they were also hiding, I found out their secret. I was under the impression a vapor barrier would be necessary but that it would not be THAT big of a deal. I imagine we don’t want to leave bare carpet on it forever either.</p>
<p>You may want to check out the yard or patio grading, water(from rain or sprinkler) in the yard may slope towards the house causes the concrete to conduct the moisture. We had that problem before, after we redone the patio, we have not seen the same problem.</p>
<p>You can install tiles that look like wood or also LVT that looks like wood. Both have come a long way and look quite realistic (especially the LVT).</p>
<p>How about replacing the floor with finished concrete?</p>
<p>Lots to consider when deciding what type of floor to install over a concrete slab. Besides water penetrating the slab from underneath, you also have to consider the temperature and humidity differences between the cold side (the soil under the slab), and the warm side (a heated house above the slab). </p>
<p>For years, most builders and flooring experts would recommend NOT installing a wood floor (either hardwood or engineered wood floor) directly over concrete becuase of these moisture issues. Some got around it (expensively) by installing a separate sub-floor raised over the concrete slab, with a moisture barrier (usually just some 6mil poly) between them. Like I said, expensive solution.</p>
<p>For now, most just install either carpet (with a vapor barrier) or tile (directly mortared to the cement, which can lead to its own issues on long term adhesion). To keep it simple, and to avoid head-aches down the road, I recommend sticking with those choices (the faux wood tiles being recommended are an excellent sugestion if that is the look you are going for). </p>
<p>But first and foremost: find out where that water is coming from!</p>
<p>I have seen faux wood tiles in plenty of commercial buildings, but never in a residential installation. Do they look cheap or cold? We have long enjoyed the rich warmth and color variation of finished wood. </p>
<p>I’m thinking maybe a slate tile would offer more depth and variation in color and provide a more natural look.</p>
<p>Well, you may still have a leak–we did.
Concrete floors aren’t real level–they have small areas that dip and can form small pools of water that don’t dry. Everything around it will be dry. The leak can be much further away and the water just drains into that dip.
We had a leak in a plumbing pipe that turned out to be in the middle of the living room. The water drained into one spot near the door and out into the garage (thank goodness!) Plumber was able to locate the real source of the leak which was not close to where we thought it should be–the flooring was dry all in between.</p>
<p>As to wood over concrete–we have it–15 years–no problems whatsoever. I think OPs problem is a leak–especially since the areas are so isolated and there doesn’t seem to be damage elsewhere.</p>
<p>Former Houstonian here. What most people don’t know is most of Houston was rice paddies back in the day. Moisture is a real problem there. Get a good, local contractor to help. Good luck.</p>
<p>Ema–do some research–engineered (real wood) click and lock planks have expansion and contraction figured into the design–they can be put over concrete.
We have wood in places that we probably shouldn’t have wood–kitchen, bath, laundry–but I love the look and at the time it was cheaper than tiling (because of quantity discounts).</p>