Floating Floor FAQ - Mailbag


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. Several 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- What is a floating wood floor? The salesperson at the store said this would be Hardwood covered by carpet mailbagthe 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 tile will do to other areas of the home.

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 damp area rug will eventually 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.

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- I'm planning on doing a floating floor myself. Can you suggest the tools I will need?

Reply- See our related pages below.

Other Mailbag Pages:

• Pergo Hardwood Floors
• Changing Hardwood Floor Stain
• Maple Hardwood. Gaps, Cracks
• Bamboo Flooring FAQ
• Hardwood Floors Covered By Carpet
• Floating Floor FAQ

Related Pages:

• Floating Lock, Fold Wood Floors
• Hardwood Flooring Tools
• Area Rugs With Hardwood Floors