Laying Solid Wood Floor Floating

The bad news is that when you take shortcuts there s plenty that can go wrong.

Laying solid wood floor floating.

This flooring can be installed over old wood flooring or over a plywood sub floor. Stack flooring log cabin style or just spread it around the room but not directly on concrete. Trim the door casings photo by kolin smith. Height change is too much consider laying a laminated wood floor instead.

It will add less than 3 4 in. If the 1 1 2 in. Use a flush cut dovetail saw to trim the bottom of the casing at all doorways so that the flooring will slide underneath. Then nail the flooring planks with a standard flooring nailer see photo for details.

Next sand down any bumps or ridges vacuum away the dirt and debris and roll out the foam underlayment. A minimum 3 4 inch thick sub floor is required. Gauge the height of the cut by laying down a piece of foam underlayment and a piece of flooring upside down so the saw won t scratch the finish. If you are working atop a single plywood layer we recommend adding a second layer of 1 4 to 1 2 inch plywood or commercial floor substrate material.

Then place a 5 16 inch spacer against the wall that s furthest from the. Click lock vinyl plank flooring also creates a floating floor but instead of having an adhesive connect the planks like gripstrip does the planks interlock with tongue and groove joints that easily snap together for a. Floating floors are an easy mess free way to install new flooring without necessarily having to remove the existing flooring. There isn t a wood flooring installer in the business who isn t guilty of taking a shortcut or two on the job site from time to time.

Most 3 4 inch solid hardwood flooring can be installed using nails or staples over an approved subfloor. If you decide to tackle installation yourself we have instructions on how to lay hardwood floor like a pro. Most engineered flooring can be installed using staples full spread adhesive or a floating method over an approved subfloor. Before installing a floating floor check various spots on the subfloor with a level to ensure that it s even and fill in unlevel sections with patching compound.

Fortunately most of the problems are easily preventable with a little diligence on the part of the installer. Lay the 1x4s perpendicular to the direction you intend to install the floor planks. How to install floating floor 1. This is because solid wood flooring has a higher tendency towards movement and needs to be fixed to the subfloor to avoid problems in the future.

Solid hardwood flooring adds style value and warmth to your home.