Homes built on a concrete slab often have cold floors. Hardwood is a great way to warm both the appearance and what's underfoot. Can wood flooring be installed over concrete? Yes and no. Water vapor travels through a concrete slab making it impossible to install solid flooring without having it end up twisted, cupped or cracked. Such isn't the case with parquet or laminated hardwood flooring which can be installed directly over concrete with proper preparation. Some laminated flooring products called "floating floors" are installed over a layer of foam. The individual planks are glued to each other, but are not anchored to the floor. If solid, finished-in-place flooring is a must, a vapor barrier, a layer of three-quarter-inch plywood underlayment and plenty of nails will do the trick. And that's the On The House tip for today.