# Installing Laminate floor on concrete block walls



## silvfx66 (Sep 2, 2014)

I own a beach condo in South Carolina the walls are all concrete block, the building was constructed back in the early 1960s. I was thinking of dressing up one of the walls with laminate flooring. The wall in question is an interior common wall so it is not exposed to the elements. It has multiple coats of paint and seems to be very dry. My question is do I need to install a vapor barrier under it or can I apply directly to the concrete wall with adhesive. Again the wall appears to be very dry and is connected to the next unit so it is not exposed to the weather. Any ideas on how to approach this would be really helpful.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Very bad idea for several reasons.
Laminates not made to be glued to anything, it needs to expand and contract or it pulls apart at the seams.
There needs to be gaps left on all outside edges.
Use real wood flooring or engineered flooring instead.


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## silvfx66 (Sep 2, 2014)

Thanks joecaption, 
do you think I need a vapor barrier under it, I was thinking of something like bamboo would look nice and is pretty hardy.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

You could put a frame around the laminate. 

Use a 1x4, 1x6, or such, rabbet a groove on the underside, for the laminate to be held by. then affix the 1x s to the bottom, and sides. put your laminate in floating, then affix the top to the assembly. Holding it all together. 

That way it looks framed as a picture might, and is still a wall decoration, and can move with contraction and expansion cycles. 

If the wall is truly dry as you describe, there is no need for a vapor barrier, but if there is any moisture build up at all there is a possibility of a molding problem.

ED


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