Plywood is a great base on which to lay a hardwood floor, no matter which fixing method you choose for your floor. There are essentially 3 main hardwood floor fitting methods and they are: floating, gluing and nailing. Here’s a brief overview of what is meant by each:
Floating – A floating floor is a floor that is neither nailed nor glued to the sub-floor. The only place glue might be used in this method of fitting is between the tongue and the groove. In a domestic situation, a floating floor might be laid over a sub-floor or over an existing floor after laying an appropriate underlay. Floating floors are not recommended for solid wood flooring unless the dimensions of the floor board and the room are small.
Glued – Fully glued floor fitting is arguably amongst the most popular choice for fitting a wooden floor in this day and age. To glue a wooden floor, a full coverage of flexible wood adhesive is applied to the sub-floor and the boards are placed directly on top. A glued floor will feel as solid as a nailed floor while at the same time allowing for expansion and contraction (due to the flexibility of the glue). Furthermore, when used on top of under floor heating (UFH) this fitting method will also prevent appearance of air pockets.
Nailed – Nailing is the traditional method used to fit wooden floors. Nailing generally involves what is known in the trade as “secret nailing”. Secret nailing means putting nails through the tongue of the wooden boards. Those nails are then covered when the groove is butted up to the secured board.
When it comes to nailing and in particular, secret nailing, plywood is the ideal surface on which to lay your new wooden flooring. Thanks to its multi-layer make up, plywood offers a particularly good grip for secret nailing. When you’re choosing your secret nailing method for fitting hardwood floor to plywood, it’s best not to use a nail gun because the nails (or pins) it fires mightn’t be the right guage to secure the floor and ensure a stable result. The best option is to use a porta-nailer.
If you are fitting your hardwood floor to plywood in a flat or apartment where you are required to respect sound regulations, you should introduce an acoustic underlay under the plywood. Working this way means that you can lay the floor directly on to the plywood.
FAQ
1. Why is plywood a good base for hardwood floor?
Plywood is a great base for a hardwood floor due to its multi-layer makeup, which offers a particularly good grip for secret nailing. This is especially beneficial when using the nailing method to fit your hardwood floor.
2. What are the main methods of fitting hardwood floor on plywood?
There are three main methods of fitting hardwood floor on plywood: floating, gluing, and nailing. The floating method involves laying the floor over a sub-floor or an existing floor without nailing or gluing it down. The gluing method involves applying a full coverage of flexible wood adhesive to the sub-floor before placing the boards on top. The nailing method involves using secret nailing, where nails are put through the tongue of the wooden boards and covered when the groove is butted up to the secured board.
3. Which method of fitting hardwood floor is not recommended for solid wood flooring?
The floating method is not recommended for solid wood flooring unless the dimensions of the floorboard and the room are small. This is because a floating floor is neither nailed nor glued to the sub-floor, and this lack of fixed placement may not provide sufficient stability for solid wood flooring.
4. How can I secure a hardwood floor to plywood using the nailing method?
When securing a hardwood floor to plywood using the nailing method, it’s best to use a porta-nailer rather than a nail gun. This is because the nails or pins from a nail gun might not be the right gauge to secure the floor and ensure a stable result.
5. What should be done when fitting a hardwood floor to plywood in a flat or apartment where sound regulations need to be respected?
In a flat or apartment where sound regulations must be respected, an acoustic underlay should be introduced under the plywood. This allows for the floor to be laid directly onto the plywood while maintaining sound insulation.