As any regular readers of this blog will know, there are essentially two kinds of wood flooring. The first is solid wood flooring and the second is engineered. Thanks to its clever construction and solid wood top layer, engineered wood flooring looks just like solid wood and is a highly stable and adaptable alternative. If you’ve selected engineered wood flooring for your project, it may be that you’re planning an installation in a bathroom or a kitchen or perhaps in one of the other rooms in your home, for example over under floor heating? No matter which room you’re working on, it’s important to plan your engineered wood flooring job with care in order to get the best result.
All quality engineered wood flooring is supplied with any specific fitting requirements clearly identified by the manufacturer or your supplier, so do make a point of checking the flooring product you’ve selected before starting. It is also worth taking time to acclimatise your floor before fitting it, because, as with solid wood flooring, engineered wood flooring will alter slightly in dimension in atmospheres of different temperature and moisture levels.
Engineered Wood Flooring Installation Methods
When it comes to actually fitting your engineered wood floor, there are essentially four fitting methods. They are glue down, nail or staple down, floating and click. The method you select will depend on your project and your DIY experience if you’re fitting the floor yourself. If you’re an inexperienced DIY-er, there’s no doubt that the click system is the simplest and most likely to produce high quality results, followed by the floating method.
The click system of fitting engineered wood flooring was developed specifically with the DIY market in mind. Made up of boards that click (or lock) together, both at their sides and at their ends, click system flooring is quick and easy to lay, providing a tight result which is likely to be particularly resistant to moisture. What’s more, click system installation is ideal in any area of the home where you anticipate the possible need to lift and relay any part of the floor on a regular basis, for example around plumbing. Click system flooring doesn’t involve any nailing or gluing.
Nailing or staple down engineered flooring installation are again both relatively straightforward, but are only recommended where your subfloor is wooden. If you’re laying your engineered wood flooring over existing wood flooring, it’s essential to make sure you lay the new boards perpendicular to the old ones (ie. at 90-degrees) in order to maximise stability. If you’re laying over plywood on the other hand, you needn’t worry about the direction you take. Both nailing and staple down are quick methods of fitting, but many people think stapling has the edge when it comes to speed.
Glue down is a popular, but somewhat more specialist method of laying engineered wood flooring on either wood or concrete subfloors. Involving, as the name suggests a bonding agent which fixes the engineered floor boards to the subfloor, one of the most important things to bear in mind with glue down installation is that if you’re planning an installation over concrete, it’s important to introduce an appropriate underlay and to make sure you’re careful when it comes to excess adhesive, which can quite easily spoil the look of your new floor if not cleared away quickly and effectively.
Irrespective of which fitting method you choose for your engineered flooring do make sure that you respect the need for an expansion gap of at least 10mm around the perimeter of your room, and even more (at least 15mm) in rooms that are over 6m long or wide. This space is essential to allow your flooring to expand and contract naturally with temperature and moisture fluctuations, without the risk of cupping or bowing.
Engineered Wood Flooring Installation Methods Compared
| Installation Method | Description | Suitable Subfloors | Ease of Installation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Click System | Involves boards that click (or lock) together at their sides and ends, providing a tight, moisture-resistant result. Doesn’t involve nailing or gluing. | Any type of subfloor | Ideal for inexperienced DIY-ers due to its simplicity. It also allows for easy lifting and relaying of the floor, if necessary. | Ideal for areas where you may need to lift and relay parts of the floor regularly, like around plumbing. |
| Nailing/Staple Down | Involves securing the engineered wood flooring to a wooden subfloor using nails or staples. | Wooden subfloors only | Relatively straightforward, though some DIY experience is helpful. Stapling is typically quicker than nailing. | If laying over existing wood flooring, new boards should be laid perpendicular (at 90-degrees) to the old ones for maximum stability. |
| Floating | Flooring is not attached to the subfloor but instead, boards are attached to each other. | Any type of subfloor | Suitable for DIY-ers with some experience. | An underlay is usually required with this method. |
| Glue Down | Involves using a bonding agent to fix the engineered floorboards to the subfloor. | Either wood or concrete subfloors | More specialist and may require professional help. | If installing over concrete, an appropriate underlay is needed. Care must be taken to remove any excess adhesive quickly to avoid spoiling the look of the floor. |
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FAQ
What are the two types of wood flooring?
The two types of wood flooring are solid wood flooring and engineered wood flooring. Engineered wood flooring looks just like solid wood due to its solid wood top layer, and it is highly stable and adaptable.
What should be considered before fitting engineered wood flooring?
It’s important to check the specific fitting requirements provided by the manufacturer or supplier. Also, engineered wood flooring should be acclimatised before fitting to accommodate changes in temperature and moisture levels.
What are the four fitting methods for engineered wood flooring?
The four fitting methods for engineered wood flooring are glue down, nail or staple down, floating, and click. The method you choose will depend on your project and your DIY experience.
What is the click system in engineered wood flooring?
The click system was developed specifically for the DIY market. It consists of boards that click or lock together at their sides and ends, providing a tight, moisture-resistant result. It doesn’t involve any nailing or gluing.
What is the purpose of an expansion gap in engineered flooring?
An expansion gap of at least 10mm (or 15mm for rooms over 6m long or wide) around the perimeter of the room is essential to allow the flooring to expand and contract naturally with temperature and moisture fluctuations. This helps prevent the risk of cupping or bowing.