nail/glue or float engineered wood flooring and floor prep.

Hello mattysupra. Please excuse the approach, but I am nearly ready to fit a Engineered wood flooring. Part of it covers existing floor board and one area covers 10ft x 10ft on concrete floor. I have been told to nail it at an angle through the tongue by some people other have told me to glue it. (they say it stops the wood splitting) I am still at a lose on how to fix it to the concrete flooring. The origanal floor board are with your 2/3 mm defiance over the area. I look forward to your reply. Many Thanks Ian (I note your Solihull I live in Nuneaton about 15 minutes away)

(QUOTE from a message i received)

hello, not all engineered wood floors need to be glued or nailed. This depends on the size of the planks and if they are designed to be floated. If the instructions say float then float them.

However if the flooring is designed to be glued or nailed, in your case i would advice either way. To nail the floor you will need to plywood both floors with a thick plywood, maybe 18mm if you use the staple method through the tongue (nails/cleats are more for a solid wood which will need thicker plywood) . This will involve alot of drilling and pluging on the concrete half to secure the plywood.

If you fancy doing the glue method then i would advice you plywood over your floorboards with 4-6mm plywood and then do a full screed (self levelling) over the concrete and the plywood so you end up with a perfectly flat subfloor. Then you can glue both sides no problem.

there is a sticky at the top on how to prep the floor.

Hello. Thanks for starting the thread.

A few answers for you. The engineered wood floor is size of 15mm thick x 120mm wide x 1820mm long. When purchased I was told either nail or glue (no one mentioned float) Purchased from Floors2Go

I have got a full marble fireplace with a lip running round it this gives a depth to the floor of 40mm. The ply wood plus floor gives 33mm only leaving 7mm (getting a bit close)

I have already had the concrete floor screeded to level it with the existing floor boards.

After reading your comments would it be possible to use 6mm ply all the way through and glue the floor down? (Floors2go said glue is possible better less chance of the tongue splitting in the future when the floor expands and contracts) Does the glue move with it?

What is a good/best/best value glue to use?

Thanks for your help

Get the fitting instructions out the box and see if they say float the floor.

Hello mattysupra

Did not get in till late today.

Ok have opened box, yes includes instructions. It does say lay the boards floating

They say leave gap of 10mm round the all edges, lay the boards perpendicular to the old baords, use PVAC glue (is this supposed to read PVA ?) in the groove and tap the following board all the way in,

It says lay the boards on 2mm underlay made of cork or similar to cover uneveness. (seems a bit thin even to me)

I have had another look at the hieght of my fire place I could get away with 12mm ply, would this be ok?

Right float the floor as this is the correct way to fit your floor. Ignor what floors2go have told you. Get yourself some good underlay and you wont need any floor prep unless your laying the flooring in the same direction as the old floorboards. And of course the two subfloors need to be smooth and flat (3mm+- 1 meter)

And yes pvac glue. Basically a pva designed for flooring. It will say for flooring on the bottle or maybe D5 or what ever other code they desided to call it.

Hello Thanks for your help

What is a good type of under lay? Do you mean some thing like, what the instructions say of 2mm cork or similar? And were from?

Do good builder merchants sell pvac?

I want to try and get this done this week end.

Another few questions for you, but wow you get some good recommendations.

Thanks for all your help.

is this the sort of underlay i need?

http://www.ncsflooring.co.uk/product_details_146.htm

Thanks

Nah, that's too thin and more suitable for melamine laminate (the plastic stuff).
3mm would be better also for sound-insulation

What a GREAT man

Many thanks for your help and advice.

Got the underlay at the weekend and made a start.

Bit slow and steady but i am not racing just want the best result i can

Let us know the result

A Big thanks to all.

Fantastic advice. Got finished December 23rd. Floor laid all edging trim fitted, new TV and wall unit all up and sorted in time for Christmas.

Will take some photos and add them over the holiday period.

The room looks FANTASTIC. I would certainly do it again.

Recommend you guys to all for great help and advice.

Hello mattysupra and woodyoulike

Many thanks for yor help / advice.

I final got the floor down and the lounge finished.

Please view my album for photos.
//www.diynot.com/network/Mutley100/albums/

Thanks guys