Engineered Flooring Glue Or Float

Floating vs glued down engineered wood flooring.

Engineered flooring glue or float.

Glued down means using a bonding agent adhesive or glue which is put directly onto the subfloor before laying any of your engineered wood flooring. Glue down hardwood flooring often sounds more like real solid hardwood flooring than floating floors do. Because of the way it is installed there isn t a hollow sound when walking across the floor or a spongy feel this is something that can be an issue with floating floors if they aren t installed perfectly and with optimal conditions. Generally hardwood flooring comes in different style.

Because they aren t directly attached to the subfloor they may feel as if there is a bit of give under your feet when you walk. If you ve decided to install engineered hardwoods there are four possible installation methods depending on the subfloor. The planks glue together to create a floor that floats moves freely as a unit. Glue nail staple and float.

Boards adhere well to the rough surface of the concrete. Floating floors can feel a bit bouncy and tend to have a more hollow sound. At first let us begin with explaining what a floating floor actually is and then we ll move on to clarifying what actually the term engineered wood floor means. The glue down method of engineered wood flooring installation is typically the most common and creates a highly stable floor.

Around the house the rooms with the most traffic such as the front hallway the kitchen and the recreation room are better served by glue down flooring than floating flooring but if you re considering a whole house. Another consideration is the feel and sound of the floor. When working on a clean concrete subfloor the glue down method is often the go to choice. Floating type and glue type.

Engineered flooring goes down over a thin foam sheet which provides cushioning and sound dampening. The floating approach is used in many scenarios where the flooring is being installed over an old adhesive left behind from an earlier flooring product or anything involving residual asbestos. Made from layers of real wood compressed together engineered hardwood floors are better able to handle changes in moisture and humidity than solid hardwood. Pros cons of engineered wood floors that float or glue down.

Engineered wood is less susceptible to warping can better handle water damage. The installation process of floating type wood flooring is less price than the glue type wood flooring. A glue down floor is usually a better choice in high traffic areas like commercial buildings and industrial spaces because the glue provides extra holding power. Hardwood flooring feel sound glue down vs floating.

Floating engineered wood flooring is one of the most common installation methods. You need to leave a 5 16 inch gap between the flooring and the baseboard or wall around the perimeter of the room to allow the floor enough space to expand.