What Do You Need To Install Engineered Hardwood Floors

If you ve decided to install engineered hardwoods there are four possible installation methods depending on the subfloor.

What do you need to install engineered hardwood floors.

Jeff hosking a flooring consultant for this old house first began laying floors 35 years ago back then 90 percent of his work was installing solid wood strips with nails. Installing an engineered wood floor is a major project. Glue nail staple and float. If you would like to add extra strength to your engineered hardwood floors you can use recommended floating floor glue for use with engineered hardwood floors for installation.

For instance solid hardwood flooring is typically nailed down during installation while tongue and groove engineered flooring is usually clicked together or completely glued down. Without this support the boards can buckle when you walk on them and the seams may separate. But now half of the flooring he installs is engineered made of thin sheets of wood glued together like plywood. Here are the eight critical questions you must research and answer to plan and budget for a successful engineered hardwood flooring installation.

Treat it with the respect it deserves. Remove the guideboard and install the rows needed to fill in the resulting space. A concern with engineered flooring however is that the colors may be quite uniform within an entire box but have distinct tonal differences from one box to the next. Install the boards and avoid walking on the floor for at least 8 hours until the glue dries.

Even with engineered flooring it is suggested by some manufacturers that in order to retain coverage with the warranty the job site has to be maintained between 30 50 relative humidity and these conditions must also be maintained after installation. However in most instances it will be safe to say that you will need underlayment before the installation of hardwood flooring. Usually made of foam rubber cork or felt among other materials an underlayment simply refers to what goes between the original floor and the hardwood flooring that is about to be installed. Glue placement is very important.

The glue must be placed along the topside of the groove the full length of the grooved side and end. The type of installation you choose will depend on your subfloor budget lifestyle and the type of wood flooring you select. Made from layers of real wood compressed together engineered hardwood floors are better able to handle changes in moisture and humidity than solid hardwood. Wood floor acclimation with engineered flooring.

If you re installing laminate or engineered flooring that snaps together and floats over the subfloor without nails you need underlayment even more. If you were to install the floor by using all the planks from one box before opening the next you run the risk of installing the floor with large mismatched patches of flooring.