This is a nice fresh idea especially if you are in need of a quick change to make your home more aesthetically pleasing.

Wayne@Palatine Hardwood Restoration and Refinishing

Engineered hardwood and floating hardwood can be installed directly over concrete subflooring provided that the concrete is properly prepared. The concrete flooring should be level, flat, free of debris and dry. Dry is very important because all wood, whether solid or engineered, is going to be reactive to all moisture and if the subfloor is not dry it could cause a number of severe problems. Prior to installation the concrete should be tested for moisture to verify it is dry enough for the wood. Moisture tests and the recommended results can be found in the concrete subfloor section of the Engineered Installation System.

If you are concerned about moisture then you could consider applying a moisture retardant system like the Armstrong S-135 VapArrest to the concrete prior to the installation of the wood. This is a 2 part epoxy system that is rolled on the floor and it would reduce vapor emissions from the slab by 75%. The engineered wood can be glued to this surface with a urethane based adhesive (like Armstrong 57 or Bruce Equalizer) or you can float over top.

So the simple answer to your question is yes, engineered flooring can be installed directly over concrete. But the concrete must be properly prepared just like any subfloor surface.

Thank you for your inquiry. Please let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns.

Thank you,
Dan