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Floating or Glue down hardwood floor?

9/23/2014

13 Comments

 
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With a concrete subfloor should you choose a floating hardwood floor or one that is glued down? The following list of pros and cons should assist you in making the right choice.

The first thing you should do however is check with your buildings strata (if there is one). Quite often there are rules in place that govern the method of hardwood flooring installation and type of sound insulation used.

Lets start with  the floating floor method of installation. 

The term 'floating hardwood floor' refers to the method of installation.  A floating floor rests on underlay and is not fixed to the substrate or sub-floor. Essentially, gravity holds the floor down.

Floating floors.
1. Less expensive than the glue down alternative due to less installation time and minimal adhesive cost.

  2. Easier to install especially for the 'do-it-yourselfer'

3. Quieter for your neighbors below. The two air pockets between the flooring and underlay and between the underlay and the concrete break down sound transference between you and your neighbors.

4. A finished floating floor deflects or 'gives' sightly when walked on. This makes living on the floor easier on your legs and back.  Don't worry, the movement in the floor is to be expected because the floor rests on a soft underlay however the amount of deflection must not be excessive. 1/8" is acceptable. Your concrete sub-floor should be flattened properly before your flooring contractor. This work is considered a billable extra. You should have no sudden drops or ridges in the concrete before you begin installation. Inadequate or poor flattening will leave excessive soft spots in the finished floor which can cause movement and lead to problems later on.

5. Sound-barrier. There are many sound-rated underlays on the market, each with their own pros and cons.
Look for the IIC rating on the product (Impact Insulation Class) and the test parameters. Your situation must mimic the test scenario if you are to get the sound rating advertised. These ratings measure the amount of sound generated by an impact (foot falling, object dropping) transferring through the concrete sub-floor to the space below in a test setting.  The higher the IIC number the less sound transference.  The other rating number is STC (Sound Transmission Class) which measures ambient, resinating sound, such as voices or noise from a TV. There are many company's that offer such products with STC and IIC ratings that claim numbers between 54 and 73. Underlays can only achieve such high acoustical ratings when tested in conjunction with the sub-floor and substrate. Follow this link for a list of BCFCA distributor members who could help answer questions.

Glue down floors
1. With this method of installation, the finished floor feels stronger and more solid underfoot. This is because the floor design doesn't allow for movement or slight deflection. 

2. Noise. Imagine the sound of a foot step on a glue down floor to be a 'dull thud' as opposed to a brighter 'clack' sound that comes with the floating floor design. The sound of the floor is generally quieter to live with because less noise is reflected back into the room you are in.

3. Expense. Glue down floors are more labour-intensive to install. The adhesive alone will add significant cost.  If a sound barrier is required, then it will need to be glued to the concrete first, adding yet another cost per square foot for the adhesive PLUS labour to install.

4. Removing a glue down floor is a tough job. The adhesive is very strong and designed not to let go.

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5. When gluing hardwood to concrete slab on grade a special moisture barrier may be required. This will also add material and labour costs to install, whereas a moisture barrier for floating floors is inexpensive.
13 Comments
Carpets calgary link
3/3/2015 09:27:00 pm

Nowadays a lot of people suffer the dilemma of choosing floating hardwood or glued down flooring. This amazing article gives a clear cut discussion which helps.

Reply
Delores Lyon link
6/3/2015 08:48:20 am

Wow, it is amazing that floating floors have so many advantages over glue down floors! Just the fact that they are easier and less expensive to install make them really appealing to me. In fact, if the cost is low enough, I could probably get my living room floors replaced soon. That room would look so much better with hardwood flooring, but I don't have a lot of money saved up to actually replace the floor.

Reply
Kris Hunt
11/12/2015 09:13:46 am

I don't know why people think floating floors are less expensive than glued down floors. With a floating floor, you need to buy an underlayment/moisture barrier and transition strips; with a glued down floor you only need to buy glue. In our house, a floating floor would cost about $700 more than a glued down floor.

Reply
Renee
10/4/2015 08:04:44 pm

I have just had floating floors partially laid but had to have a new company come in to finish. The new installer tells me the planks should be 1/4" from the wall to allow expansion. He has removed some of the flooring because it bounced and said it wasn't levelled properly and no primer was used.

Please help me - who is right? this is costing me a bundle!

Reply
Chris
10/6/2015 09:34:39 am

He should leave a 1/4" gap to allow for expansion. Leveling or 'floor flattening is very important. If the floor is uneven it will stress over time. Read the flooring manufacturers installation guide lines.

Reply
Riley Peterson link
6/29/2017 06:52:38 pm

Floating floor is a method of installing a floor rather than a specific type of flooring material. Very nice blog. Thank you for sharing.

Reply
Dan Crawley
11/14/2017 07:07:43 am

I agree partially, but with Luxury Vinyl planks (LVT) some are designed specifically to be glued down and others are designed to be clicked together.

Reply
Dave
11/5/2017 06:15:21 am

If you're going with a floating floor you may as well use laminate. Any floating floor sounds hollow and cheap.

Reply
Tiffany Locke link
2/1/2018 08:00:02 pm

Thanks for explaining how a floating floor is easier on your legs and back since it deflects slightly when walked on. This would be useful to avoid health problems and to stay comfortable while walking around your home. When choosing floating floors, it would probably be a good idea to ensure you hire a professional to install it so that it deflects the right amount so it's easy on your back without causing any problems for your home.

Reply
John link
6/6/2018 07:14:34 pm

That was a very valuable information, thank you for sharing. It's a pleasure to visit here. If you have some time, you can also visit us in <a href="https://www.woodfloorplanetnj.com/services/hardwood-floor-installation/" rel="noopener"> Wood Floor Planet NJ </a>.

Reply
Milana Buckner link
7/3/2018 07:10:28 pm

Thanks! If you are ripping up any type of floor covering, you might be thrilled to discover beautiful hardwood underneath. Your excitement may then be diminished, however, by the fact that you are left with a sticky glue or adhesive covering the wood. Because most adhesives start out in liquid form, the best way to thoroughly remove them is by returning them to that state (much the same way you would re-melt candle wax to remove it). There also are commercial products like strippers and adhesive removers available on the market. Another option is to use dry ice.

Reply
John link
8/7/2018 01:32:27 am

That was a nice information, thank you for sharing. It's a pleasure to visit here. If you have some time, you can also visit us in <a href="https://www.woodfloorplanet.com/laminate/" rel="noopener"> Wood Floor Planet </a>.

Reply
john link
11/16/2018 12:02:39 am


Thank you for sharing this great article. If you have some time, you can also visit us in <a href="https://www.woodfloorplanetnj.com/services/" rel="noopener"> Wood Floor Planet NJ </a>.

Reply



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