Floating Wood Floors Vs Nailed Down

A smooth expanse of wood flooring adds warmth and anchors a room.

Floating wood floors vs nailed down. There are some key differences in engineered wood vs. The nail down method. Approximately 70 of tongue and groove floors are nailed down using the blind nailing nail down method which hides the nail holes. Many flooring sales people unfamiliar with hardwood flooring assume expansion is the same as laminate flooring.

When installing an engineered wood floor there are a few things to consider from the condition of the subfloor to the method that you will use to install the flooring. I am putting 2 1 2 x 3 4 hardwood flooring in a hall that is about 36 wide. Flush transition moldings are commonly used to complement nailed down or glued down wood floors. I am also laying it parallel to the joists on 3 4 plywood subfloor that is in good conditon.

Floating nail down and glue down. This is the most common method of installing hardwood and it s also the cheapest and fastest installation type. Nailing down hardwood floors is the most common installation method especially for solid flooring. Nail down installation is a straightforward way of fitting engineered or solid wood flooring but is only advisable if you have a wooden subfloor.

Floating floors require over lap transition moldings to be used. The process involves nailing the flooring directly to a wood subfloor. When installing your new floor over plywood the direction you choose to lay the planks doesn t matter. There is really vey little room to swing a nailer hammer since i ll probably lay the first row in the middle of the hall and work towards both walls.

The flooring store said to leave one quarter inch gaps for expansion at the walls now the boards are lifting off the floor ill informed advice like this often leads to floor problems. For certain types of flooring materials there are three common methods of installation. Nail down installation.