Engineered hardwood floors are a sub-type of hardwood, a synthetic material that combines wood and other composite materials such as PVC and plastic.
Their strength and durability are questioned mainly because they are usually installed using the floating floors technique.
If you are confused at this point, follow this guide on hardwood vs engineered hardwood on the spot before moving forward.
This unique method of installing engineered hardwood on concrete floating has become popular in the past few years.
Floating floors refer to the concept where the boards are snapped together and laid on the subflooring without actual installation into the structure.
Usually, wood glue or other adhesives are used to keep the floors in their place and prevent them from moving around; hence, the name ‘floating floors’.
Table of Contents
An Insight Into Using Floating Floors
Floating floors have both benefits and drawbacks. If you are also looking forward to installing engineered hardwood on concrete, you must have a view of both sides to understand the situation fully.
Benefits of Floating Floors
Below are some of the known benefits of having floating floors in your house:
- Engineered hardwood floors are made super-comfortable with the help of floating floors. The floating floors welcome compression and allow the boards to bend slightly to create a cushioning effect when you step on them.
- They are much easier to install as all you need to do is snap the boards into place and use glue to make them stick to the surface so they do not come off.
- Floating floors are much cheaper than other methods as the labor cost is considerably less due to the ease of installation. Besides, they also save you the expense of nails and screws, as only glue is used for fastening.
- The floating floors are a quick fix if your engineered wood floors resurface. Often, using nails and screws repeatedly in the wooden planks is not possible, and this is where the adhesives come into play.
Drawbacks of Floating Floors
Below are some of the known drawbacks of floating floors:
- Floating floors leave much hollow space between the surface and the boards and between the boards as well. This promotes hollow sounds and a noisy platform underneath, which creates unnecessary noises whenever you step on it.
- Floating floors are less stable than other platforms and might shake or vibrate when you step on them.
- Floating floors are not as durable as nails or screws, as the method does not involve any actual fasteners. The adhesive can develop air pockets if not applied properly, leading to a lack of strength and grip on the hardwood boards.
Installing Engineered Hardwood On Concrete Floating | A Complete Guide
If you look forward to installing engineered hardwood on concrete floating, you will surely need professional assistance.
However, this can cost you a few grand for the entire process, which certainly won’t suit you.
Therefore, we’ve crafted an easy and efficient method for you to follow so you can easily install engineered hardwood on concrete floating without going through the troubles of failures and other common problems.
Follow the guide below to attain desirable results.
Wait For The Concrete To Dry
One of the most common mistakes that many homeowners make while executing this DIY method is that they install engineered wood floors on moist concrete.
They do not understand that moisture will neither allow the adhesive to work and grip properly nor allow the hardwood floors to remain in their best health.
You must understand that the greatest ground amount of moisture is present in the ground, and it can travel upwards over time to damage your flooring.
If you think that you are safe mainly because you have a concrete slab underneath, you are highly mistaken.
Although it might take some time before the moisture can travel from the surface of the concrete up to your floors, it certainly will.
After a few months, you will start to see a change in the texture of your engineered wood planks, and even their composite material won’t be able to save them from the right damage being inflicted.
Therefore, use a moisture meter to check the moisture level of the concrete and wait for it to abide by the manufacturer’s recommendation. Only then should you move towards the next steps.
Let The Wood Adjust
While the concrete floors are drying, keeping the engineered wood the same is best so it can adjust accordingly.
While engineered wood does not have a high hardwood content, it still needs to acclimate a bit to match the moisture level in the air.
This will save time, as the flooring will acclimate while the concrete dries off. The time required for the engineered wood to acclimate varies depending on the size of the boards, the manufacturer and a few more factors.
However, a recommended time is 1-2 weeks, but you can contact the local supplier to check the exact time according to the area’s climatic conditions.
If you are still confused or can’t contact the supplier, leave the wood to acclimate for the recommended time.
After this, use an accurate wood moisture meter to know the right moisture content in the wood. This will let you know precisely if the wood has acclimated or not.
Get A Moisture Barrier
Even if the concrete slab has dried according to your requirements and the wood has done ample acclimation, you still need to get a moisture barrier between the concrete and the engineered wood to protect it from any possible dangers.
Seasonal changes leading to changes in humidity levels or excess moisture in the ground leading to the concrete are all factors you must protect your engineered wood from if you want the floating floors to work.
Getting a moisture barrier will also help to ensure that the manufacturer can not cancel your warranty on the grounds of violating the policies.
Using this, you won’t be putting your floors at any intentional risk, nor will it be considered negligence, and you will be able to claim to both the manufacturer and your insurance company (if you have insurance for your floors).
Besides, this process will also help to make the surface of the concrete level for your floors even if it has some irregularities already.
Underlayments are the most useful items for this job. There are mainly 4 types of underlayment, and you can choose any of them as each has perks and benefits.
But make sure to choose according to the type of wood and the climatic conditions of your area.
Generally, rubber and felt are the most popular materials as they can benefit the floating floor on concrete.
Apply The Adhesive & Install The Planks
Once all the previous steps have been completed, installing the engineered wood on concrete floating is time. You must apply wood glue on the concrete surface.
While you can use anything to apply it, a notched trowel is considered the best for application on concrete.
Besides, make sure that the adhesive you’re using supports the wood. The wrong type of adhesive can cause many disturbances in the future.
Here are some possible risks of using the wrong type of adhesive:
- The floor can lose its grip over time, causing the boards to become squeaky or lifted.
- A non-recommended glue does not offer any elasticity leading to a lack of grip over time.
- The floors can shake or even come off the surface.
Once you have applied the glue, you must start placing the engineered wood boards on the surface. Make sure only to glue the area you are working on.
Otherwise, you will only destroy the concrete surface and waste much adhesive.
Take the dimensions early to figure out how many boards you need. Furthermore, do not forget to leave minimal spacing between the boards to allow expansion and contraction over the seasons.
Use A Weighted Roller & Wait For Drying
Once the floors have been installed, you must ensure no air pockets in the adhesive layer. To prevent this, you must use a 100-pound roller and roll it on the floors 6-7 times to ensure proper grip by the adhesive.
If a roller is unavailable, try putting weights on each plank, but this process can be very difficult to execute if the floors are large. Once done, wait at least a day for the surface to dry.
The adhesive will contract and pull the floors closer to the surface, making them much stiffer and inducing a better grip.
After this, you might finish the floors if necessary as the process of installing engineered hardwood on concrete floating is completed.
Final Words
Using a floating floor method was frowned upon in these recent years but it has gained a lot of acceptance and popularity over the years.
If you are also planning on installing engineered hardwood on concrete floating, you are making quite a reasonable decision.
However, you might be confused about how the process works. Hence, you need to follow the instructions given above which will guide you on each step of the process for best results.
John Henry is a passionate co-creator of FlooringFlow.com. a website dedicated to answer all of your flooring related questions. After taking the challenges of flooring DIYs while learning skills for years, John is now ready to share his knowledge related to floor remodeling and projects with you.