How To Install A Floating Solid Wood Floor

The width of the gap is determined by the length of the run and the type of wood.

How to install a floating solid wood floor.

Essentially a floating wood floor is fitted over an underlay so the floor and the subfloor are not in contact. Learn how to install solid hardwood flooring with a few simple tools. Solid wood needs a bigger gap than engineered wood because it expands and contracts more. Floating is the most common installation method for engineered wood although gluing is also an option.

Floating involves attaching or clicking the panels which blocks out moisture. Typically the gap is about a 1 2 inch. Instead the planks are either glued or snapped together. The quickest way to get new wood underfoot is to install a floating floor.

Hardwood floors are durable beautiful and a great diy project. Leaving a small barrier around the side of the room will give the flooring enough of a buffer to do its thing without cracking. The floating wood floor will expand and contract as a unit with temperature fluctuations. Ron call our urbanfloor guy and a veteran flooring contractor for over 34 years shows you and offers a general explanation on how to install what is calle.

All wood floors expand and contract so you must leave a gap around the perimeter of the room. Nail down installation of solid wood is chosen by many homeowners because of its permanence. The planks go down fast over virtually any material concrete plywood sheet vinyl even ceramic tile. Because of the movement of solid wood flooring which happens through the expansion and contraction of the wood it s important that a solid floor is fixed to the subfloor in some shape or form.

Unlike traditional solid wood strips a floating floor isn t nailed down. This installation method is preferred when the subfloor is cement tile or a floor with radiant heat.