• Follow installation tips for installing hardwood flooring on concrete slabs.texture of red wood - can be used as background image by Elnur from Fotolia.com
  
  Whether you install hardwood floors on concrete or some other surface, it's helpful to understand the process involved. According to Ask the Builder, a home improvement website, the installation process is not complex so long as you have the right tools for the job and follow a few simple tips. This goes a long way to guarantee satisfaction with your results when the installation is complete.
  
  

Acclimate the Hardwood Flooring

• Before installing hardwood flooring, Ask the Builder recommends bringing the materials into your home for at least two weeks to allow them to acclimate to your home's temperature and humidity. Changes in temperature and humidity can affect the size and shape of the wood and create irregularities. He suggests storing the materials in the room where you will install the floor. The acclimation process helps to ensure the joints stay tight during installation as well as over the lifetime of the floor. This applies to all hardwood flooring installation, regardless of the surface it's installed on.
  
  

Use the Proper Tools

• Professional hardwood flooring installers arrive on the job site with a host of hand and electric tools. This is true for hardwood flooring installed on concrete slabs as well as other surfaces. Although it's possible to nail in hardwood floors with a conventional hammer, mistakes can happen. Ask the Builder recommends renting a special nail gun from the local hardware or home improvement store to lessen the chance for error.
  
  

Install on a Suitable Concrete Slab

• According to Wood Web, a flooring installation company, the grade of the concrete slab on which the hardwood flooring material is installed matters. The company states that the optimal slab grades for installing hardwood floors are either on-grade or above-ground grade. Hardwood flooring installation on below-grade concrete slabs is not preferred. In addition, it's also important that the slab is flat, level, free of debris and completely dry.
  
  

Install a Plywood Subfloor

• Hardwoodinstaller.com, a flooring installation company, suggests installing a plywood subfloor to the concrete slab prior to installing the hardwood floors. The company proposes using 5/8-inch plywood that is placed over a moisture barrier and secured with concrete fasteners. Appropriate concrete fasteners include cut nails, concrete screws or concrete cut nails. The plywood helps prevent vertical height differences at room entrances once the floor is installed.