Our flooring is holding up well. DO NOT use the Titebond II. What are natural ways to express 'contra-positively' in writing? It is not glued in the joints. I have nailed down a 3/4" thick 2.25" hickory, but the last 3 rows are going to get face nailed with a finish nail gun, so planning to add some glue for some strength. Different types of glue work best with different types of flooring. If you want to avoid having to post here after it's been installed follow Shophie's recommendations. Note that some engineered hardwood flooring products have a click-lock design. To work with a floating floor the subfloor must be smooth and level...which means the floor prep is crucial but that is the same with any job. He should be the one telling you about these requirements as an explanation for the charges for the additional required work beyond the basic install. A 3mm cork underlay is OK for warmer climates. If you’ve already started reviewing your options in the hardwood flooring market, then you’ll be well aware that engineered hardwood flooring is an increasingly popular product. A floating engineered hardwood will use a plastic vapour barrier underneath (possibly a 2-in-1 vapour barrier + underlay) and the floor installed over top. The new plywood subfloor and then the new hardwood floor. Can you solve this chess problem of a single pawn against numerous opposing pieces? It just doesn't seem long term viable to me. Once installed, engineered wood planks look the same as solid wood planks. They used standard Titebond II glue (polyvinyl acetate). By continuing to browse this site or use this app, I agree the Houzz group may use cookies and similar technologies to improve its products and services, serve me relevant content and to personalise my experience. Within weeks or months the glue will come loose and you will have a floating floor. A slotted underlay can be used with solid wood flooring or engineered wood flooring.Glue is applied into the slots of the underlay using a barrel gun which helps make the application quick and mess free. Honestly I'm surprised it's a glue down floor at all. The only thing I would glue down in someone home is vinyl sheets/squares. Done. Niether do you. They make some NICE stuff. Enough fretting already, so I will will leave it there. @Vanya which underpayment you used? Is it better to float or glue down an engineered wood floor over a cement floor that right now has a carpet on it that must be removed. Any other pro's can add their comments as well. Please check manufacturer's recommendations. Bonds all woods including parquet, block and strip. Noise is very acceptable, too. But for which again the planks will be glued together with tongue and groove adhesive. Huge stocks available for speedy delivery. When dealing with solid hardwood there is the added expense of hiring a seasoned sand and finish company. We too have gone ahead with Roberts tongue and groove for the last 3 rows, as it will allow for expansion and a bit flexible. March 4, 2020. The wood flooring is then fixed on top and held to the subfloor by adhesive through the slots. Pro's, please don't suggest about manufacturer recommendations. This type of flooring is an ideal choice for basements and living areas. As for those finishes, Aluminum Oxide is the best from a durability standpoint and found on flooring in the budget and premium classes. It is possible to do it...but you would need to either A) reinforce the joists in that area from BELOW or B) add another layer of thick, rigid plywood THROUGHOUT the home just so you can change direction. Hi. There are special floating floor adhesives to glue the tongue and groove together and they are basically the same price as the Titebond. glue/nail down wood flooring installation: any disadvantages for click-lock? These are the areas least likely to accept a change in direction (running with the joists instead of across the joists). Engineered wood flooring can be installed by a few different methods. hard wood vs. prefinished hard wood vs. engineered wood, glue down vs floating engineered wood flooring. What’s the best glue for your engineered wood flooring? I am definitely biased because I am that experienced refinisher that I talked about above, but I always love to see someone go with the real thing. The big consideration when dealing with installation is whether to do the installation yourself or hire it … It is the worst possible install choice, regardless of subfloor type. But don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. As it breaks, it creaks, cracks and sound like balloons popping. I also posted this as a separate question, Visual design changes to the review queues, Opt-in alpha test for a new Stacks editor, Routing grooves in engineered hardwood flooring. Traditionally a floating engineered hardwood has a "tongue" and "groove" but they rarely have "click" edges. What glue should I use for glue-down engineered flooring installation? And Sophie is dead-dog right on this one (as usual). You can also pay for asbestos remediation where they encapsulate the asbestos with a liquid foamy product that makes removal completely safe, then glue down flooring. DMoore's answer already covered what you say without insulting OP. They don't talk about glue. On a plywood subfloor you may float, glue or nail down your new wood floor. Nothing wrong with a floating floor. Im planning to use that for my flush stairnose as well. Immediately wipe up any glue that squeezes through the boards. At what temperature are the most elements of the periodic table liquid? Timber Flooring Installation Method 2: Floating. It is standard wood glue. Usually the laminate floors are floating - at least in my experience... whoever installed it originaly didnt have a clue what they were doing. We decided to float it. Hello Everyone, I am trying to install engineered wood on a concrete slab myself. If you want a warranty, you will pick what the manufacturers specifically recommends. The flooring manufacturer should recommend a brand. Better read the full manufacturer's requirements, including how FLAT your subfloor needs to be, end to end seam placement, moisture testing, and care requirements. Post your manufacturer and specific product. So the floating floor is quite quick to install...but it still has prep and it still has requirements that must be met to make the homeowner happy. Not every engineered floor is allowed to be glued. @bib: The underlayment is glued to concrete. The only time I have seen gluing to the floor to be an option is thin flooring onto concrete for commercial purposes. Because engineered hardwood has a top layer of actual wood, you are able to get the best of both worlds. LOTS. Subfloors can be installed over concrete which can make it possible to install solid hardwood, but that often leads to problems with the height of the floors with respect to other features present that must be foreseen and addressed, as well as a significant extra cost. It normally takes $1 - $4/sf of preparation to get it ready to accept a floor. My engineered floor was installed by a big box store contractor. And yes...under pad or underlay is a great idea if you don't want cold toes. use only XYZ-brand memory sticks with your XYZ digital camera, etc. Floating Vs Glued Down Engineered Wood Flooring. How to prepare my floor to install engineered hardwood? Engineered wood flooring adhesive, fully glued down or floating floor installation. Hello I finally found the info.I had to dig through my old phone to confirm. I would be afraid of noise with the total glue down. I looked up their website. I would like to know your feedback from first hand experience. VAT Excl ... PVA Joint Glue . What's the meaning of the Buddhist boy's message to Neo in the movie The Matrix? To lap or not to lap underlayment over concrete. rev 2021.2.18.38600, The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Home Improvement Stack Exchange works best with JavaScript enabled, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site, Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, Learn more about hiring developers or posting ads with us. 14 mm engineered flooring is laid either as a floating floor or is glued permanently to the sub floor using glue with a high solid matter content such as Rewmar MS Polymer flexible wood flooring adhesive. You have a lit of floor prep in your future, as well as moisture testing. When and how did the criminal sense of 'grooming' arise? @DMoore: To answer your question about noise/feel with total glue-down. I live in santa clarita valley (91381) and my … The big boxes sell the generic engineered wood flooring glue. Two common methods of fitting wood flooring are glue down and floating and no matter whether you’re planning a DIY installation or you’re getting the professionals in, it’s handy to know a bit about each of these methods so you can decide which might work best for … Is the opposite category of commutative Von Neuman algebra a topos? Plywood does NOT alike to be made into a click edge...which is why most floating engineered hardwoods are glued on the edges. High strength adhesive for surface bonding solid and engineered wood flooring to strong, sound dry substrates. I believe you went with Roberts Tongue and groove glue. is material that expands and contracts. In this case it is highly unlikely that the actual brand of glue matters. No issues since hardwood was installed in 2006. You can either fix your hardwood floor to the subfloor with glue, nails or screws. Any problems like creaking/ bouncy floors? I am replacing part of flood-damaged flooring. And even the BEST epoxy treatment can be overwhelmed by too much moisture...this is why we say there is NO GUARANTEE your wood floor would be safe. Should I install a floating floor or a staple down for engineered hardwood? As the natural wood it is good and also easier to install and maintain. 1. Mismatched number of normal modes calculation in GAMESS. And by the way, the company's customer support is not returning phone calls, so no help there. This project focuses on installing a floating engineered floor. Environmental factors also play a part. Some have a drop lock system (expensive system that is successful but expensive...and it is expensive) which does not require glue. The original install was engineered flooring glued to underlayment, glued to concrete. The expanses of the joists are greatest in those areas (there are no walls to offer extra rigidity or joists). I am inclined to think so, too. Some do...the cheap ones that sit on HDF core with a thin sliver of hardwood on top...those are the one's that click. There are a few, though, that use glue or other more permanent methods. ROBERTS 1407 Engineered Wood Flooring Adhesive is an acrylic urethane adhesive designed for the installation of engineered and parquet wood flooring up to 1/2 in. It's the reason that some engineered hardwood manufacturers will allow their products to be installed below grade. These pros and cons should be considered when deciding which floor is best for your home and what will be the best long-term outcome for your home. Floating floors can feel a bit bouncy and tend to have a more hollow sound. If the flooring company suggests Roberts...then go with Roberts. Hi Vanya, its been 4 years. A floating floor is a method of installing where the boards are not glued or adhered to the substrate layer in any way. Normally you just click it together. One is a Rolls Royce, the other is a top of the line Mercedes! I've seen $7/sf hardwood cost $14/sf when the adhesive is added. Continue reading → Stauf Elastic Hybrid glue – perfect for engineered wood flooring and installations over under floor heating This elastic wood flooring glue comes in a big pot so is ideal for big spaces. Avoid adhesives that are water-based, as they trigger expansion and contraction of engineered wood products. I also posted this as a separate question. Bostik has long been recognized as the leader in wood adhesives. I'm not sure why it is you want a floating floor, but there are options to install a nail down or glued down floor over concrete without disturbing the asbestos. Can anyone give me an example of a Unique 3SAT problem? Nothing wrong with a floating floor. Next morning I was ready to install the floor, but I noticed the glue under the underlayment is still fresh. Please share an Installed floor photo if possible. Your talking a lifetime of top quality flooring! Whatever glue product recommended by the manufacturer. Floating floors are a more economical and affordable engineered hardwood flooring option. @krismays...an engineered hardwood is floated in a different manner than a floating laminate (usually). Normally stairs are laid with the length of the plank running the length of the tread...regardless of the run of floor at that landing. On light weight concrete or gypsum floors like you have in a condo or apartment, floating your floor may be your only option depending on the softness and porosity of the subfloor. Plastic 6mil sheeting is a requirement for "on slab" installs (or some form of vapour membrane...without it the warranty means nothing and it is called an "Inappropriate Installation"). The floor we bought can be either glued or floated. They floated the underlayment over the existing floor, glued the grooves of the tongue and groove edges, and floated the glued up engineered floor over the underlayment. 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. Well I am getting some help from a contractor friend who is going to do some demolish of existing tiles and leveling of the concrete floor. A simple bead of glue attaching each board to the other is all it takes to install engineered wood flooring as a floating floor. Depending on headroom, you can furr out the floor and install plywood subflooring, there are membranes that can be installed and floors glued to the membrane, or there are interlocking subfloor products that keep the base dry and allow for insulation blankets below that floors can be either glued or nailed to. Yes we did go with Roberts. Looking for the best engineered wood flooring brands? Update: Thanks so much for your post. Hardwood Flooring Feel & Sound Glue Down vs Floating. I'd also want to know why you are floating the floor? site design / logo © 2021 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under cc by-sa. Gluing tongue and grooves on a floating floor is NON-STANDARD and must be specifically allowed by the manufacturer, and the specific glue that they recommend is required to be used. I cannot comment on the feel, just average, nothing wrong with it. Although engineered flooring's thin veneer can't be sanded as many times as solid wood can, its thick factory-applied coating is more durable than one applied in your home on solid wood, … We are getting white oak whitewashed eng. The flooring glued to the underlayment. No issues.Hope this wasn't too late. Apply wood glue to the tongue-and-groove seams. The glue on the edges has been known to cause a "crackling" sound if it is too rigid. Moisture testing is REQUIRED by every manufacturer. If you’re in the process of investing in a new wooden floor, you’re likely to have fitting methods high on your agenda. I hope this helps and good luck with your project. A very few make a ''one size fits none'' version that supposedly can be installed a couple of ways. Floating floors require a glue that is flexible to allow the boards to naturally expand and contract with changes in relative humidity during the seasons. Do floating engineered wood floors "bounce"? When installing additional rows, work from left to right. Floating and gluing are two different things. ... this is the best way to go about installing the pristine planks in your living space. Floating Floor Glues While some manufacturers offer their own proprietary glues for floating floors such as Bruce and their Ever-Seal, Kahrs and their Landobond floating floor glue, the professional choice has been Titebond Tongue & Groove Flooring Glue. In colder climates (assuming there is NOT infloor radiant heat) I like to see 6mm cork underneath a floating hardwood. The instructions are very specific about which adhesive to use: "To be used with FloorMuffler HPA adhesive only". Plus the added ease of installation directly to the slab is an incredible advantage that engineered holds over solid. It is not clear whether the installation will fail with any other type of adhesive, or they simply prefer that I buy their product. In John 20:28, why does Thomas refer to God as 'my' God? I bought a roll of FloorMuffler UltraSeal underlayment (essentially, sealed high-density foam) at Home Depot for this project. And you still have NO GUARANTEE that the moisture mitigation will be 100% effective for any length of time. I glued underlayment to concrete using Roberts Engineered Wood Flooring Adhesive. But the fact is you should be gluing the pieces together, not under them. The big boxes sell the generic engineered wood flooring glue. Most people won't change direction for large spaces like the living/dining area. Thanks Krismays. Seriously? If you have a difficult subfloor to work with, floating floors are your best bet. Lowest possible lunar orbit and has any spacecraft achieved it? The instructions say "open time up to 20 minutes" and "install hardwood while the glue is still fresh, do not allow it to skin-over". Installation instructions – 14-15 mm engineered wood flooring. The term ‘floating floor’ relates to the way which your hardwood flooring has been, or is going to be, installed. wood floors floated next week. Have you determined if the subfloor is flat within 3/16" in 10'? 0. Can't quite get my bedroom right - what am I missing. Within weeks or months the glue will come loose and you will have a floating floor. Bruce doesn't say anything and my wood doesn't have any warranty, as I fell for a marketing gimmick and ended up with some crappy discount wood. It cured around the edges, but it is completely fresh otherwise. It is also recommended for bamboo flooring. Should I use a 6 mil poly moisture barrier for engineered hardwood floor installed over concrete slab-on-grade? That's why you would need the expensive moisture mitigation (probably a form of epoxy applied professionally) PRIOR to the wood being glued in place. Engineered hardwood floors may be installed over wood subfloors using staples or flooring cleats. But when you float the floors, u still use glue between the planks, not underneath - as I understand. As an installation method, glued down is most suited for either concrete or wood subfloors. I question your "NEVER". TX and FL are the two main reasons floating engineered hardwoods exist. Thanks a lot for checking this for me. That's why you leave a space along the walls to allow for this. Learn more. Get something in your contract that the installer will follow manufacturer's recommendations. There is no reason to glue down engineered hardwood floor to an underlayment. You should be asking him about videoing his testing and prep for documentation for the manufacturer. Their urethane wood adhesives as-well-as their moisture vapor reduction systems that work with their wood adhesives provide the best protection that I've seen. Should I glue down or top nail the first and last row of hardwood engineered flooring? By the way, there is a difference between laminate and engineered, google it up if you like. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. For an engineered floating floor, run limits are 25 feet wide and 45 feet long. Suitable for use with warm water underfloor heating systems. We get it. The glue will NEVER last (in a residential setting). But when I called them today, they said not to use titebond, but I could use Roberts or few other tongue and groove adhesive that they use for laminate flooring. Generally, Hardwood flooring comes in different style: floating type and glue type. Personally I'm a fan of cork (obviously). The only thing the glue will do is give you fits and make your install seem tighter. Home Depot does not sell required adhesive. thick and 5 in. There are two main ways that you can install hardwood flooring. What are my options now? What type of subfloor should be used for Engineered hardwood flooring installed on grade concrete slab? I can occasionally hear the kids running, but the noise is muffled, not a cause of concern. Weight and friction keep this type of engineered hardwood flooring in place and while it may flex, well-installed floating planks will stay-put. There are special floating floor adhesives to glue the tongue and groove together and they are basically the same price as the Titebond. Worse still, I could not find it anywhere on the internet. All in all I would always prefer a solid floor to an engineered one if possible. The suitable fitting methods for our engineered tongue and groove wood flooring are as follows: Glue Down / Bond - by far the best method of installing our engineered wood flooring is to glue / bond it directly to the floor screed using MS Polymer floor adhesive. To aggravate the problem, the manufacturer does not specify the type of glue they require, so I cannot even attempt to guess if it can be substituted or not. Wanted to hear unbiased opinions of others. 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Your installer should have that down pat, as those are universal requirements for flooring installation. I've seen the moisture resistant adhesives DOUBLE the cost of product. The rest of the engineered wood floors are layers of plywood with a hardwood finish on top. Generally i have found that the actual cost of solid flooring is comparable to a nice engineered floor (although some engineered flooring can get rediculous!) you NEVER glue the underlayment..it is an Acclimating product.SMH. Finally, I had really difficult time ripping up damaged flooring, precisely because it was glued to underlayment, and obviously the glue lasted for 7 years. I know that they are two different options. Direction of engineered wood (floating floor). Should I just go ahead and use that? Stack Exchange network consists of 176 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. It is standard wood glue. I hate to admit it, but site finishes just don't have the durability that factory finishes do. The manufacturer is. There are several floating floor materials available, but if you want real wood, the best choice is engineered flooring. FREE next day delivery … Watch him skedaddle. Most engineered wood floors are milled with… Cheapest Price with Highest Quality Hardwood Floor Glue.