As mentioned earlier, there are several methods of laying floors. In our last article, we introduced floating floor installation and explained how it works. Now let’s learn about the advantages and disadvantages of floating installation over other methods.
Advanrages of Floating floor installation
Pros
- Installing a floating floor makes it extremely easy to replace damaged planks. Replacing with a new one is as easy as lifting a damaged plank. Removing and reinstalling the flooring is incredibly easy. It is also useful for easy access to pipes, electrical wiring, etc that may be under your floor.
- With a floating installation, you will not damage your floor, unlike gluing or nailing. All you have to do is install the floor underneath and leave it virtually intact.
- Floating floors are a good choice if your room may experience varying temperatures as well as changes in humidity throughout the year. This is because they move with moisture and heat, which prevents warping or buckling.
- Installation time is greatly reduced because this fastening method does not require nails, screws, or large amounts of adhesive.
- If you are paying for professional flooring, labor costs are reduced because of the shorter joints. Floating floor coverings also tend to be less expensive, which adds to the economical nature of this stabilization method.
- Floating floors work with wood, LVT or laminate or Evocore with underfloor heating systems.
Disadvanrages of Floating floor installation
Cons
- If you keep your floor for a long time, you may want to sand down the wood and finish it to its former beauty – especially in high-traffic areas. Engineered wood floors cannot be sanded down as much as solid wood because of the composition of the floor. The thickness of the solid wood veneer determines how often it can be resanded. Laminate floors cannot be sanded at all.
- Since the floor is not bonded to the subfloor, it can move slightly when you drive over it. However, these are often small movements caused by the compression of the floor.
- Sometimes a hollow or reverberating sound may occur when passing over the floating floor. This is because the vibration is more easily transmitted between the floor and the floor or base. This problem can be avoided by using a high quality underlayment.
- Floating floors are a good option if you want to spend time and money on your new flooring. Although flooring may be affordable, cheap wood flooring does not mean poor quality. Our range of engineered wood and laminate flooring uses only the highest quality products that match our design specifications exactly, so you do not have to compromise on quality.
With that, we have now covered the installation of floating flooring. In our next guide, we will look at installing glue down flooring and explain the pros and cons of using it in a residential or commercial property.
If you need any further information, our helpful team are on hand to provide you with all the information you need. Get in touch today!