Used in solid and engineered wood flooring, tongue and groove wood flooring is a system of installing a floor which is made of planks. Effectively, in a tongue and groove wood floor, as the name suggests, each plank has a tongue and a groove. On one long side of the plank you’ll find the tongue and on the other long side you’ll find the groove. The same is true on the short sides. So on each of the four sides you’ll either find a tongue or a groove, thus the name tongue and groove.
The tongues and grooves on the four sides of the floor planks are made in wood moulder and what you’ll see as you look at the plank is a slot (or a groove) cut into one long side and one short side and a ridge (a tongue) protruding on the other two sides. If you look really closely, you’ll also notice that the tongue is a tiny bit shorter than the groove. This is entirely normal. Tongue and groove wood flooring is created in this way so that the system can allow for the inevitable expansion and contraction of the wood.
When installing a tongue and groove wood floor, the idea is to fit each tongue into each groove. Once installed, a tongue and groove wood flooring system results in a smooth and long lasting finish.
Tongue and Groove Attached
Tongue and groove wood flooring can either be secret nailed, glued down to a suitable sub floor or laid in a floating installation over an appropriate underlay with the edges glued together. Furthermore, when installed by a professional, will result in a really impressively low percentage of waste (as low as 5% in some instances), which means that you benefit from minimum waste and maximum coverage per m2 bought as well as a really great end result.
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FAQ
What is tongue and groove wood flooring?
Tongue and groove wood flooring is a system of installing a floor which is made of planks. Each plank has a tongue on one long side and a groove on the other, the same goes for the short sides. The tongues and grooves are made in a wood moulder and allow for the inevitable expansion and contraction of the wood.
How is tongue and groove wood flooring installed?
When installing a tongue and groove wood floor, each tongue fits into each groove. This results in a smooth and long-lasting finish. This type of flooring can be secret nailed, glued down to a suitable sub floor, or laid in a floating installation over an appropriate underlay with the edges glued together.
What are the advantages of tongue and groove wood flooring?
Tongue and groove wood flooring, when installed by a professional, can result in a very low percentage of waste (as low as 5% in some instances). This means that you benefit from minimal waste and maximum coverage per m2 purchased, as well as a really great end result.
What should you notice when examining tongue and groove wood flooring closely?
When examining tongue and groove wood flooring closely, you’ll notice that the tongue is a tiny bit shorter than the groove. This is completely normal and is designed this way to allow for the inevitable expansion and contraction of the wood.
What are the different ways tongue and groove wood flooring can be installed?
Tongue and groove wood flooring can be installed in several ways. It can be secret nailed, glued down to a suitable subfloor, or laid in a floating installation over an appropriate underlay with the edges glued together.