How to Add a Wood Floor Joist to Cement

When installing a conventional hardwood floor onto a concrete surface, you must allow enough space under the flooring for moisture control and sound dampening. This is best accomplished by installing wood floor joists to the concrete surface and attaching the wood flooring to the joists. Attaching wood joists to concrete is a difficult job that requires back-breaking manual labor, so be prepared for the work before you get started. If you are not used to preforming difficult physical labor, this is a job better suited for a carpenter.

Tape measure
Pencil
Concrete glue
Concrete nails
Hammer

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the area where the joist will be installed. Joists should typically be placed 16 inches apart on the cement subfloor for optimal flooring installation.
- 2
  Mark the location for each flooring board.
- 3
  Spread a bead of concrete glue onto the area where you are applying the board. Press the board into place, and pull it up once to make the concrete glue tacky. Press the board into place again, and allow it to dry for a few hours.
- 4
  Position the concrete nails at the appropriate place. You'll be driving two concrete nails into each end of the joist.
- 5
  Drive the concrete nail through the wood and into the concrete. This will take time and patience, because the older the concrete subfloor is, the harder the concrete becomes. Repeat this with each joist.

How to Fix a Truss Floor From Squeaking

How to Make a Spline Tongue for Hardwood Floor

Floors