I will be installing wood flooring for the second time. I helped my father the first time , and my good friend and neighbor wants to pay me to install engineered brazillian cherry from LL on his 400 sq living area on concrete in North Texas. I did warn him of my inexperience and he is fine with the risks.

My questions:

1. I will need to level his concrete floor since it is covered by carpet. The recommended Bostik MVP Moisture Vapor recommends that surface areas requiring patching or leveling must be done using Bostik™ Fast Patch 102™, SL-150™, or SL-155™ Fast Set patches/underlayments prior to the application of MVP4.

Do I have to use those levelers if I want to use the MVP? Are there alternatives that do just a good of job? How difficult is it to install moisture barrier liquid? Is it just like glue?

2. I plan to buy a concrete moisture test kit from Lowe's to test his concrete. What can I use to test the moisture of his wood that he buys?

3. Anyone with words of wisdom regarding this kind of install want to chime in?

Thanks in advance!

You can use any cementous patching compound that meets the same specs.

I use Mapei PlaniPatch or Ardex SD-F. Mainly because I can't get the Bostik stuff.

It is just like the glue, only the trowel ridges slump, and it all flows together, or it should, but it doesn't always. Mapei has a new one just like MVP, but it is bright yellow in color, and slumps and flows a lot better then MVP.

I just used The Mapei W(something) moisture barrier and Mapei 990 adhesive, and really liked both of them.


A good pin type moisture meter works best for wood. But for engineered, your better off getting a thermal hygrometer, and make sure your acclimating for a couple of weeks, in the desired and consisent, temp & rH.