Choose glue-down or floating engineered hardwood floor and why?

Question

I want to replace existing glue-down engineered hardwood floor. The store told me there is another choice, the floating engineered hardwood floor. Do you prefer the glue-down or floating engineered hardwood floor and why? Thank you for your answer.

Dale Carlson · Answer

Can i vote for C)  Vinyl Plank Flooring?  It floats, it is durable, it is easy to install, rated for bathrooms and kitchens, as well, and best of all it is $1.69/sf at HD.  I would say it is perfect up to a B+ property.

Jon Graham · Answer

You cannot use solid hardwood floors over concrete slab.

I would just recommend trying to find a domestically made engineered floor. There's a lot of cheap crap coming over from China. I've seen masking tape pull the finish off after painters were done etc. can't go wrong with Mohawk, Shaw, etc.

Ray X. · Answer

Thank you all for your replies. What is the best hardwood flooring do you recommend for the slap foundation? I can go for none engineered hardwood floor if you think the other type of the hardwood is better?

Patrick Liska · Answer

No matter what floor you put down over concrete, it will expand and contract a lot. i had one project recently, i put down a floating floor and left 1/4" space all around, only for it to swell up enough that it buckled and i had to pull the shoe molding off and re cut  the floor even more so it could sit back down, that's how much it expanded. if the floor is in a basement make sure it is rated for below grade and can be used on top of concrete. I personally can not stand the sound of the floating floor, i have not found one yet that does not sound "hollow" when you walk on it. your best bet is glue down or nail down, you can buy 3/8" nail down flooring, and as mentioned by @Jon Graham  some of the engineered wood have a thick enough top layer to be able to re sand it, do your homework on that.

Jon Graham · Answer

Also some engineered floors have a thick enough wear layer that you can sand and refinish them. Just throwing that out there in case that's an option for you.

Jon Graham · Answer

An engineered wood floor is going to have very minimal expansion and contraction. That's kind of the point of it.

I disagree with @Trevor Hodges about a floating floor having a less clicky sound. Yes a good underlayment will help, but a floating floor will always sound more hollow than a nail down or glue down.

I'm assuming you are going over a concrete slab and that's why you are having to glue it down? And also why you are being recommended engineered. Solid wood expands and contracts to much with moisture changes to be used over concrete.

The advantages of floating wood floor are going to be ease of installation and lower installation material costs (no glue). WIth a floating floor the installation suddenly becomes a do it yourself project for pretty much anyone with any handyman skills at all. Other than that the products will be identical. Many manufacturers make the same exact floor in a floating design and a glue/nail down design.

The only thing to be cautious of is the hollow sound and if you are ok with it. I recommend trying to find somewhere that has similar floor installed and walk across it to see if you are ok with it.

JD Martin · Answer

Floating allows for easier movement with the natural expansion/contraction of wood. That said, nail-down and, later, glue-down wood flooring has been used for many decades successfully. I prefer floating but if your subfloor has any high or low spots you're going to feel the floor move under your feet, even with a pad. The deflection might be minimal but if you don't like that sensation you won't like a floating floor.

Choose glue-down or floating engineered hardwood floor and why?

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