Hardwood Flooring Installation Methods

Floating Floor Installation

If you plan on installing your hardwood flooring yourself, this is perhaps the easiest method for you to use. You can install your flooring fast and you will be able to walk on it immediately. The floating installation method is a great choice when you need to be able to install hardwood over any surface or in any room. You can use the floating method to install hardwood over concrete, wood sub-floor or even some existing floors, because the hardwood is not actually attached to the sub-floor, but is floated over it. Before installing your flooring, you must put down a thin protective padding over the sub-floor. This will protect the hardwood from any moisture and acts as a sound barrier that decreases the amount of sound that is transmitted when walking on your flooring. The padding also offers a minimal amount of cushion, making the floor softer to walk on. Some engineered hardwood flooring has a glue-less locking system, which can be floated. Other hardwoods require that a factory recommended adhesive be placed in the tongue and groove of each board to adhere the planks together. Please refer to the manufacturer’s installation instructions for your flooring to find out if it can be installed using the floating method.

Glue Down Floor Installation

Glue down flooring is the most difficult to install yourself, as it takes a level of skill to accomplish this properly. You should not attempt this installation method unless you have prior experience installing glue down flooring. If you intend to do your own installation, it is recommended that you choose the floating floor option rather than the glue down option, since the glue down method is much more difficult than the floating method of installing hardwood. To accomplish this installation process, you must use the manufacturer’s recommended adhesive and the trowel size that is recommended by the manufacturer, so that the glue is properly applied for sufficient adhesion. Failure to follow the manufacturer’s recommendation could result in the manufacturer warranty becoming void. In this installation procedure, the proper adhesive is spread onto the sub-floor using the appropriate trowel; afterwards, the planks are positioned on top of the adhesive and glued directly to subfloor. Engineered hardwood flooring can be glued down to a wooden subfloor or concrete.

Nail Down Floor Installation

This installation process is used for ¾” thick solid hardwood flooring, wherein the planks are attached to the subfloor with nails or 2 inch flooring cleats, using a wood flooring nail gun and mallet. This method is used for thick solid hardwood that staples cannot penetrate. Nail down floor installation is harder to accomplish than floating floor installation, but is easier than glue down installation. The cost of the machinery necessary to install a nail down floor is great and installing nail down hardwood flooring requires a certain skill level, therefore, it is not recommended for do-it-yourselfers, but for experienced, licensed installers. Solid hardwood flooring cannot be installed on concrete, but only on wooden sub-floors, which are on grade or above grade.

Staple Down Floor Installation

Staples are used to attach thinner hardwood floors to the sub-floor using an air powered staple gun to propel the staples through the tongue and into the sub-floor. Staples are used for thinner wood because a nail or flooring cleat would travel right through the tongue. Please refer to the manufacturer’s installation instructions for information regarding the correct size of staple and the proper type of staple gun to use for your particular flooring. Staple down flooring is easier than glue down flooring, less complicated than nail down flooring, but harder than floating flooring. The cost of the equipment necessary to install staple down flooring is substantial, thus, you may not want to consider installing it yourself. Staple down flooring can only be installed on a wooden sub-floor on or above grade and cannot be installed on a concrete sub-floor.

At Woodwudy Wholesale Flooring, we are here for you!  If you need any assistance or additional information, please call our trained flooring specialists at 1-877-966-3983.