Question-
What is a
floating wood floor? The salesperson at the store
said this would be the best system to install over
our ceramic tile because the tile does not have to
be removed.
Reply- Floating wood
floors are just that. They float over existing
subfloors. Many of the original ones were glued by
the tongue and groove. These are still available
today, but click together types and lock and fold
variations are quickly replacing those that get
glued. Your salesperson is right, but consider
what the new floor over the old will do to other
areas of the home.
Some thicker floating floors
will add more vertical height possibly causing
problems with adjacent floor coverings such as
vinyl or carpet. In some cases where smaller
baseboard is used such as a colonial type, trying
to find the proper shoe or quarter round becomes a
problem unless the baseboard is removed and
reinstalled.
Question- We're
leaning to having floating wood floors installed
in our kitchen, but what about moisture concerns?
Reply- As long as you
keep water spills to a minimum and protect areas
where they are more likely to take place, floating
wood floors should do just fine in kitchens. It is
recommended to use area rugs near the kitchen
sink, dishwasher, and refrigerator/ice maker
areas. Check them often and allow them to dry
out.. Any continued damp area rug will damage the
floor underneath.
Question- We were
over at our new neighbors home the other night and
noticed they had a floating wood floor installed
in the family, dining and hall area. It sure
sounded noisy and felt squishy. How can they sell
these floors if they're going to be like this?
Reply- Floating wood
floors should not be noisy. We have found when
first installed they will crackle sometimes, but
it's more of a matter of adjusting to the glue and
foot traffic. Squishy areas are likely to be the
result of an installer not doing proper floor
preparation. In this case it could be a low area
that needed to be corrected. Click the
Preparation Is The Key link on the right side
navigation for more information.
Question- We bought
some hardwood floors at Lumber Liquidators and had
it installed. Now after four weeks we're beginning
to see a lot of cracks in many of the boards.
They've been very helpful but we're wondering what
is causing this?
Reply- First off
Lumber Liquidators is a fast growing company and
reports indicate to us they offer decent products
for a decent price. Far better selections than one
would find at the big box stores. We know several
installers that have mentioned some flaws in their
products, and a few comments about cracking on our
message board. The chief reason for cracking has
to do with the material losing it's moisture
content. It may have been too high when you
received it.
Question- One guy at
the flooring store said it's okay to float solid
hardwood floors, but I see no information on your
website about this. Can you elaborate?
Reply- One has to be
very careful when it comes to floating floors and
selections. Traditional solid hardwood floors
cannot be floated with the glued tongue and groove
floating method. Expansion and contraction issues
do not work with solids and this method. Some
engineered products (but not all) can be floated
as their construction is more stable. It's always
important to follow the manufacturers
specifications before making any decisions.
Question- I'm
planning on doing a floating floor myself. Can you
suggest the tools I will need?
Reply- Plenty of
links below |
