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beth_williams31

do i need epoxy under wood

2 years ago

My flooring guy says there is moisture in my concrete and the only way to protect the engineered hardwood is epoxy $3,500 not in budget. I will do it if that is right - but of all the kitchen remodel issues this is the only one that i find nothing on. So it makes me wonder if this is really needed or just over the top cost i dont need. Please help!!

Comments (10)

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    If you live in an older house with a slab with no moisture barrier you can’t use the basic glue, you need a glue that creates its own moisture barrier. No idea If the quoted cost is good or not not knowing size of project etc.

  • 2 years ago

    But do i need glue and epoxy? At first he was gonna use high quality glue. Is there another option besides expoxy? Or is that the standard. I guess my concern is when i trued to research it i could not find anything about it

  • 2 years ago

    1400 square feet

  • 2 years ago

    He says epoxy and glue

  • PRO
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Bona has the R541 a polyurethane product you can apply. Concrete prep work is needed to remove contaminants. What does the $3500 include - just epoxy application, any prep work?


    Prep work or grinding is where the majority of the cost will be. $3500 for grinding and epoxy moisture barrier application is a good deal for 1400 sf.. He is probably using Pallmann's P108. Epoxy moisture retarders/barriers are more superior to polyurethanes.

  • 2 years ago

    Ms. Beth - I think you have to nail or glue the floor down. Thus - nailing is not an option in your situation. As stated the epoxy will be your moisture barrier. Good Luck!

  • 2 years ago

    The amount of moisture in the slab dictates what methods are viable to mitigate. Moisture emission is often expressed as how many pounds of water come out of 1000 square feet of slab over a 24 hour period (from memory...). If you have a reading of 3 or less you generally need no barrier, though installing a somewhat monolithic floor over a slab can change conditions.

    I've used both membranes and trowelable products. A separate product like Bostik MVP4 runs $330 for 5 gallons currently at LL Flooring. In the past their price was similar to wholesale suppliers and I could avoid shipping costs. Five gallons will do 200 square feet at most, so just the product cost is about $1.80/sf, or about $2500 for 1400 sf. This is with NO markup and NO labor to apply. This leads me to believe that your $3500 quote isn't out of line. I usually agree 100% with G&S, but not this time. I've seen some slick epoxies that made me worry about adhesion. With a product like Bostik MVP4, you have a separate urethane membrane, which can be used with Bostik adhesive. If all is done properly, you have added assurance that it will perform as expected.

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    Epoxy needs to be abraded before gluing to it, unlike the polyurethane products. Although the polyurethane products do have a window, where outside the window abrading is needed.

  • last year

    I was looking into different ways to protect engineered hardwood from potential moisture because i wanted to redesign my kitchen and found this helpful blog post that is about using epoxy on wood and had useful information.. Epoxy does seem like a strong protective layer, especially if moisture is high, and I’m considering it as an option since epoxy lasts for years, i know if i spend money now, it'll save me a lot in long run and protect the wood as well. I’m also looking at underlayments as alternatives. Has anyone tried epoxy for moisture protection under wood flooring?