Home Page link

Glued-down or floating hardwood floor?

Home| Search | About
Login Password
Register Now! Lost Password?

Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here. 

Bookmark this page:  YahooMyWeb Yahoo!  Google Google  Windows Live Favorites Windows Live  del.icio.us del.icio.us  digg digg  Add to Netscape Netscape
Subject Author Date
Glued-down or floating hardwood floor? Walter R. 05-26-2006
If you were  Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
Posted by Walter R. on May 26, 2006, 9:49 pm
I replaced the carpet in my halls with Bruce engineered hardwood flooring. I
glued the 3" strips down directly over the concrete pad. It looks great (5
Years) but was quite a bit of work due to the gluing.

Now I would like to put the same flooring in my living room: 22' x 27', also
over the concrete pad.

Are "floating" hardwood floors less labor intensive? Do they look as good as
"glued down" flooring?I am asking because I once walked over a floating
pergo floor and almost got seasick: It gave you that "floating" feeling with
every step.

Any input appreciated.

--
Walter
www.rationality.net
-



Plumbing 468x60
Posted by CJT on May 26, 2006, 10:15 pm
Walter R. wrote:

> I replaced the carpet in my halls with Bruce engineered hardwood flooring. I
> glued the 3" strips down directly over the concrete pad. It looks great (5
> Years) but was quite a bit of work due to the gluing.
>
> Now I would like to put the same flooring in my living room: 22' x 27', also
> over the concrete pad.
>
> Are "floating" hardwood floors less labor intensive? Do they look as good as
> "glued down" flooring?I am asking because I once walked over a floating
> pergo floor and almost got seasick: It gave you that "floating" feeling with
> every step.
>
> Any input appreciated.
>
I can't detect the "floating" of my floating floor, which makes me
wonder whether the one you had that experience with was properly
installed, and whether you are unusually sensitive or suggestible.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.

Posted by Walter R. on May 26, 2006, 10:46 pm
I doubt that I am overly sensitive. My wife had the same reaction. The
floating floor was obviously a DIY installation. It may have involved an
overly thick foam pad. What is the correct thickness of the foam pad for an
engineered floor installation, and is a pad really needed?

--
Walter
www.rationality.net
-
> Walter R. wrote:
>
>> I replaced the carpet in my halls with Bruce engineered hardwood
>> flooring. I glued the 3" strips down directly over the concrete pad. It
>> looks great (5 Years) but was quite a bit of work due to the gluing.
>>
>> Now I would like to put the same flooring in my living room: 22' x 27',
>> also over the concrete pad.
>>
>> Are "floating" hardwood floors less labor intensive? Do they look as good
>> as "glued down" flooring?I am asking because I once walked over a
>> floating pergo floor and almost got seasick: It gave you that "floating"
>> feeling with every step.
>>
>> Any input appreciated.
>>
> I can't detect the "floating" of my floating floor, which makes me
> wonder whether the one you had that experience with was properly
> installed, and whether you are unusually sensitive or suggestible.
>
> --
> The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
> minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.



Posted by Edwin Pawlowski on May 26, 2006, 11:10 pm

>I doubt that I am overly sensitive. My wife had the same reaction. The
>floating floor was obviously a DIY installation. It may have involved an
>overly thick foam pad. What is the correct thickness of the foam pad for an
>engineered floor installation, and is a pad really needed?

Use the pad/vapor barrier recommended by the manufacturer. I used
Mannington so I can't speak for other brands. I have one spot that is a bit
"soft", but I take responsibility for it as I did the installation. The rest
of the 450 sq. ft. is solid and has no bounce at all. You must allow space
on the perimeter for the floor to expand and contract too, or it will buckle
and could feel soft.

IMO, Pergo and Bruce are not the best brands.



Posted by Sacramento Dave on May 27, 2006, 12:12 am

>I replaced the carpet in my halls with Bruce engineered hardwood flooring.
>I glued the 3" strips down directly over the concrete pad. It looks great
>(5 Years) but was quite a bit of work due to the gluing.
>
> Now I would like to put the same flooring in my living room: 22' x 27',
> also over the concrete pad.
>
> Are "floating" hardwood floors less labor intensive? Do they look as good
> as "glued down" flooring?I am asking because I once walked over a floating
> pergo floor and almost got seasick: It gave you that "floating" feeling
> with every step.
>
> Any input appreciated.
>
> --
> Walter
> www.rationality.net
> -
With any floor over a slab any low spots should be leveled. I would
think even with a floating floor if you have low spot it would be magnified.
Your floating floor is on a 1/8" foam pad so if you have a 1/4" low spot in
a short span I can see why they would call it a floating floor. I've
installed both solid and floating, I prefer the solid I like the feel of it
. Time wise the floating floor went in much faster and easier. In a big
room like your talking about there is a lot less cutting, you can lay more
full length, work a bigger area at a time ( I 4 rows of 3" at a time) 22' X
27' certainly wont be tripping over everything. I would go with the glue
down.



Similar ThreadsPosted
Re: Floating Hardwood Floor Elevation Issues? June 21, 2005, 9:58 am
Re: Floating Hardwood Floor Elevation Issues? June 21, 2005, 10:07 pm
Kahrs hardwood (oak) floating floor - Anyone ever installed it in a bathroom?? August 18, 2005, 8:43 am
Floating a 3/4" Solid Hardwood Floor Over Above Grade Concrete? December 19, 2006, 3:06 pm
Floating hardwood over ceramic tile February 17, 2006, 3:03 pm
prepping for floating floor July 16, 2006, 4:34 am
prepping for floating floor July 16, 2006, 4:34 am
Insulate under floating floor below grade? December 11, 2006, 11:03 am
Putting hardwood floor on top of hardwood floor June 15, 2007, 10:17 pm
Hardwood floor DIY March 8, 2006, 1:34 pm

Contact Us | Privacy Policy

XML SitemapXML Sitemap