Both solid and engineered floors can be installed using wood flooring adhesive, Real Oak Floors recommend the use of Everbuild 650 Wood Flooring Adhesive and Everbuild 750 Quick Drying Flooring Adhesive. There are two main techniques for installing using adhesive which will both be explained. Please remember that solid floors are always recommended to be glued down, not using the floating method.
Floating Floor Method
The floating floor method of fixing the wood flooring is done by gluing the tongues and grooves of the floor together. This creates a new floor which is “floating” over the original floor. Floors can be floated over any solid subfloor and it is the preferred method for laying engineered floors.
It is a good option when the subfloor moisture content is unknown as a damp proof membrane can be used between the floor and subfloor to prevent moisture rising into the new flooring. When floating a floor, an underlay must be used to dampen any echo and extra noise.
This echo is caused by two hard surfaces together which have a space between them. The noise echoes in this void. The underlay is used to prevent any echo as the two hard surfaces will not be touching.
There is a wide range of underlays for use when floating the floor – all of which are adequate however one of the best on the market is Silentfloor Gold manufactured by Timbermate. This is a very dense underlay which means there is less sound echo from foot traffic. Generally the more dense an underlay the less noise!
To float the floor:
Lay out the damp proof membrane (if required) ensuring that the edges of the membrane continue up the side of the skirting. Lay out the underlay ensuring all areas of the floor are covered. Any areas left uncovered with the underlay will cause a bounce in the new floor and will be noisier. A PVA adhesive is used to glue the boards together.
Fit the floor by placing two beads of adhesive along the upper and lower sides of the “groove” joint. (It is a common mistake to think that the boards need to be glued along the “tongue” – this will simply push the adhesive too far into the joint and not create a firm bond between the boards.) You must ensure that the beads of glue are constant and not intermittent as this can cause the boards to creak if the joint is not constant.
Leave the joints and glue to dry before walking on the floor. Any PVA glue which has spilled onto the boards can easily be wiped off a lacquered or oiled board, or sanded off an unfinished floor. It must be noted that thermo treated solid oak has less density therefore water based pva will not adhere to the timber as well as normal oak. When using solid thermo treated oak it is best to use another fitting option, however if the boards are engineered this is not a problem as the tongue and grooves are made from the softwood base.
Glue Down Method
The glue down method of fitting a floor consists of using a strong, thick floor specific adhesive applied directly to the subfloor enabling the new floor to stick directly to the original floor. This is a very sturdy method which is the recommended option for solid wood flooring and parquet floors.
To fit a floor using the glue down method you must ensure that the subfloor is dry, level and structurally sound. When fitting onto concrete it is best to prime the area first using a PVA based primer to ensure a good bond to the floor. Any old concrete is recommended to be checked for moisture before the boards are laid. Both engineered flooring and solid flooring can be laid using the glue down method.
To glue the floor down:
Firstly, ensure the subfloor is flat, free from dust and dirt and if necessary has been primed. Working at an area just large enough to complete within 20 minutes, apply the adhesive to the wood floors using a notched trowel ensuring the whole surface has an even amount of glue. Fit the new floor boards ensuring all boards have been pulled tight and have not been moved out of place as other boards have been fitted.
Leave the adhesive to dry for 12 hours and do not walk on the floor until it is fully dry. Unlike the PVA adhesive, the flooring adhesive is very difficult to remove from the surface of the boards so ensure that any spills on the boards are wiped off immediately before the boards have dried.
Other Adhesive based fitting methods:
The are other adhesive based fitting options used to fit flooring:
- Adhesive backed flooring underlay. A foam underlay backed with 1 side adhesive. The underlay has a sticky side covered in a plastic film which is peeled back as the floor is laid. Envoy multi, Elastilon and Acoustalay adhesive 300/1000 are all types of adhesive backed underlay.
- Slatted Underlay for use with adhesive. This underlay comes with narrow slats cut out – this enables the underlay to be used in conjunction with adhesive as the glue is applied in the cut-outs. The floor benefits from being glued down directly with the added advantage of having an underlay in between. This option is used when the floor is to be glued down directly but the sub floor is not completely flat.
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#1 by jack on March 14th, 2009
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This is the first time I have commented here and I must say that you give genuine and quality information for other bloggers! Good job.
p.s. You have an awesome template.
#2 by erwan on April 30th, 2009
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Your guide above very informative for someone who want to use solid or engineered wood flooring as invest or look naturally to their home and for professional wood flooring joint by adhesive it could be tips, great article, thank you
#3 by saul on July 22nd, 2009
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can I lay a ‘free floating’ solid oak floor over old floor boards or do I need to ply and nail? Cheers
#4 by admin on July 22nd, 2009
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Make sure any old nails and screws are in properly and the floor evenness is +/- 2mm. If the floor boards are level you should be fine to float solid oak floor over underlay.
Cheers
Scott
#5 by David on August 18th, 2009
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When glueing parquet blocks down, is it necessary to glue the blocks together too?
#6 by john on October 2nd, 2009
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can i lay glue down straight to original floor boards or do i need to ply the floor first
#7 by Pat Higgins on December 9th, 2009
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Just bought a lovely engineered 190mil wide board with a 6mil wear layer. New house, with UFH and laying direct onto subfloor. I am considering gluing straight to the subfloor. Floors have been in since early Aug and heating turned on early Sep with a gradual increase to full working temp (approx 26oC). I tried the old bin liner taped to the subfloor for 24hours to check for moisture build up. There was none that I could see. I guess I want to know what are the likely pitfalls for me. Do I NEED an underlay? Should I avoid gluing straight to the subfloor? Will the floor be dry enough? Will an underlay of good quality affect the performance of my UFH significantly? Apologies for the raft of questions but trying to cover all bases!!!
Many thanks,
Pat
#8 by Fatty on January 21st, 2010
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Pat
Seal the floor with a liquid epoxy DPM first to be sure that that you don’t have an issue.
Fatty
#9 by Jim on April 3rd, 2010
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Question: I have purchased floating wood flooring for a house that has existing hardwood flooring in it. Can I tighten the existing floor and then glue or nail the flooring (without the padding) to the existing floor, possibly laying 15# felt over the existing floor? I had previously purchased some flooring sealer that is used on bowling lanes, basketball courts, etc. and would prefer a sealed floor over a floating floor. We have inside dogs and very young grandkids!
Thanx!!
#10 by admin on April 9th, 2010
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It is possible to tighten the existing flooring – the best thing is to screw down all the loose boards rather than nail so they will not come loose againl.
If you are gluing down directly to your sub floor or nailing the new floor down you do not need any thing in betwee. You can use the felt if nailing the floor down but you will not use any thing on the floor if gluing down.
The sealer will be fine to use for domestic purposes – it will be very hard wearing but I think that is what you are looking for anyway.
#11 by ANDS on August 21st, 2010
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Hi
We have just had a solid floor fitted. It has been floated and glued together.. however not fixed to the floor. It has been layed on underlay. Will this cause problems. Should it have been nailed or glued to the floorboards?
#12 by admin on August 25th, 2010
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Hi,
As a general rule, solid wood floorboards are recommended to be glued or nailed down directly to the sub-floor. However there are many installations which are not fixed in this way. Gluing / nailing is the preferred option as it helps keep the boards stable but this does not mean you are going to have problems with it. Many floors will be fine, especially when you have had the correct expansion gaps left as this allows the boards to expand and contract without lifting.
Hope this helps