Floating Engineered Floor On Concrete

Nail down and floating floor installations will be covered in parts 2 and 3 of this article series.

Floating engineered floor on concrete.

The planks glue together to create a floor that floats moves freely as a unit. Follow these steps to install an engineered wood floor in your home. For one there s less insulation. Installing engineered wood flooring is a great project for the diyer who desires the look of a professional wood floor with the strength and longevity offered by its sturdy design.

A floating engineered wood flooring installation on concrete can be an excellent choice if your subfloor is below grade. As an installation method glued down is most suited for either concrete or wood subfloors. Installing a floating engineered hardwood floor works well at any grade level and over most types of subfloor surfaces. This article however focuses only on the glue down application.

Using a glue down floor is an option in above grade installation only since installation below grade requires a plastic barrier on top of the concrete. Instead the engineered wood planks are joined together with interlocking joints creating a single continuous layer that floats over the subfloor. Floating vs glued down engineered wood flooring. Cost skill level.

If your subfloor is concrete cover it with a wood or engineered wood subfloor first. 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. Engineered flooring goes down over a thin foam sheet which provides cushioning and sound dampening. Laying down your floating flooring directly onto concrete is a no no.

500 750 square feet of coverage. Use a quality cleaner like zep professional concrete and masonry floor cleaner 27 per gallon. Some engineered wood flooring products are designed for a glue down application when installing flooring over a concrete slab. For the floor adhesive to properly stick the floor must be clean.

The surface can t be slick heavily troweled or burnished. Engineered wood flooring offers the timeless look of hardwood but is perfect for basements and other areas where moisture can be an issue. Floating engineered wood flooring problems mainly come from moisture and not taking the proper steps to ensure the wood is protected from underneath the main drawback of using a floating floor installation for the engineered wood is the initial extra step to secure the boards. Also the possibility of dampness however small is greater when there are fewer membranes between your concrete foundation and your floating floor.

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.