Can i nail a floating floor

It only takes a minute to sign up. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. I am installing laminate tongue-and-groove floating floors in my kitchen with the aid of my Grandfather.

I was always under the impression that a floating floor was just that - not pinned down by glue, nails, etc. However, my Grandfather insists that it HAS to be nailed down. He has barely gone into any reason why. He was a carpenter his whole life though, so I decided to do more research, and found that mostly people do not nail them down, but there might be advantages to it. Related questions like Should I install a floating floor or a staple down for engineered hardwood? Another issue with floating floors is that once they are installed, they tend to behave like one giant entity.

The whole floor will shift this amount depending on the fluctuations in humidity or moisture in the environment. When you nail down the boards they will still expand and contract. However, they will not move as much. Each board will expand or contract depending on temperature and humidity, and much more than hardwood will.

Hardwood attached to a subfloor can expand and contract with each other. The floating flooring expands and contracts much more.

However, they will not move as much. On the aesthetic side, if you install a floating floor the only transition option you have is an overlap-style molding. This nailer excels in a few areas that make it great to use with floating, click lock floors. Do you need to glue click flooring?

Laminate flooring is not recommended to be glued down. Since it is a floating floor, it is meant to support itself via locking systems and have no connection to the subfloor. Which side of laminate goes against the wall? The tongue is the side that you will want to place against the wall as you start your laminate-flooring installation.

How long does it take to install click lock flooring? You can lay the flooring in a byfoot bedroom or living room in two or three hours, but you should add an hour or two to fit it around cabinets or other obstacles in a kitchen or bathroom, depending on your skill with power tools.

Are Floating floors noisy? Glued Floor Noise. A floating floor, by definition, does not attach to the subfloor, and it can creak and crackle underfoot for a few reasons, including inexperienced installation or poor-quality flooring materials.

Most floating floors feature laminated planks with tongue-and-groove edges that fit together. Should floating floors move when walking on them? In this case the best choice would be to remove the base molding and to trim the floor back so it can expand properly. This is going to be the best option for you. Thank you for reaching out. My laminate floor was installed 2 years ago, and it is now popping up.

We had another installer come and take a look at it and he said it was not installed properly. There was NO gap left at the walls for the floor to move. We are thinking of nailing it down where it is popping up. Your email address will not be published. Can I nail laminate flooring down to the subfloor? We hope to make your home remodeling and maintaining a more positive experience. Vanessa September 1, at pm. Myrna Barron August 27, at am. Alana Kane February 24, at am. Ray oawster February 18, at pm.

Alana Kane February 6, at am. Mike February 5, at am. Alana Kane January 2, at am. Ed January 1, at pm. Alana Kane May 19, at pm. Erik May 16, at pm. Alana Kane March 25, at pm. Michael Mitchell March 24, at am. Alana Kane March 10, at pm. Mickie Fox March 8, at pm. Alana Kane February 18, at pm. Nolan February 17, at am. Alana Kane February 15, at am.

Valerie February 12, at pm. Tyler January 11, at pm. Tyler November 7, at pm. This overlap-style molding will have to cover a portion of the hardwood floor and a portion of whatever type of flooring it is next to. When you nail down the planks you then open up the possibilities of having a flush transition between two types of flooring. You might think that using glue would be a good alternative to a nailer to affix the boards to the subfloor.

However, glue tends to cost more than using cleats in this particular situation. You should also consider that glue tends to have a strong odor and its application and clean up can be messy. Glue also needs time to dry and set up. Whereas with nails, as soon as the nails have been inserted into the planks the floor can be used.

If you do decide to use a nailer with your floating floor, we highly recommend the Powernail Model Cleat Nailer. This nailer excels in a few areas that make it great to use with floating, click lock floors. The Powernail is one of the few nailers able to do so. This is because the base adjusts above and below the floor board to get a tight fit inside the nail pocket.