Float Or Glue Down Floor

Ease of installation and removal.

Float or glue down floor.

One of the most obvious advantages that a floating floor has over a non floating floor is ease of installation. The cost of glue versus the cost of a moisture barrier is another consideration. Is a floating floor more or less expensive than glue down. With a floating flooring installation the product is not actually attached to the subfloor meaning it may give off a hollower sound compared to that of the glue down method though the thicker a product the quieter it tends to be.

Glue down is one of the most expensive installations we have for hardwood. It is still costly but no where near the price of full spread glue down. With glued down floors the glue acts as a moisture barrier between the hardwood and the subfloor. When it comes to distinguishing between installing a floating floor vs a nail down or glue down type method it is imperative that you weigh the good along with the bad before making any final decisions.

Floating engineered hardwood is a little trickier than nail down but not as tricky as glue down. When you have a subfloor that can t be glued to for one reason or another a. Newer adhesives are elastomeric. Glued down floors may cost less in materials but they require a professional to install them.

However floating floors require a moisture barrier. How to decide between floating and glue down hardwood floors. First luxury vinyl flooring whether glue down or floating is generally quieter underfoot than most hard surfaces. They allow the wood board to expand and contract but they do not grow or shrink nearly as much as they would with a floating or nail down installation.

Boards adhere well to the rough surface of the concrete subfloor and therefore lead to less gaps or planks lifting and buckling. Glue down floors are stuck to the subfloor so they can t separate. Acoustical underlayments can add to the cost of the installation with a floating floor but in the end the total job cost should be slightly lower with a floating floor. In glue down installations flooring adhesive is spread.

The flooring fastens together and holds itself in place. Floating floors are generally more expensive from a material cost but you will save money on adhesives and labor. The most common method is the floating install which requires no glue or fasteners. The glue down method of engineered wood flooring installation is typically the most common and creates a highly stable floor.

The adhesives used to glue wood down to a subfloor make for an extremely strong bond. Sounds like solid wood. You can install both glue down and floating floors over most subfloor materials including concrete plywood and oriented strand board osb but the requirements are more stringent for a glue down floor.