Wood Flooring Installation
It is important to make sure that a wooden floor is professionally installed. There are many different flooring types that often each require specific preparations before installation. Not every wooden floor and finish are suitable for all situations. Always ask for professional advice to match the intended use of the floor.
If you intend to do it yourself then try to refer to the manufacturer's specific instructions. But here are some general pointers.
How you install your wood floor will depend on the type of wood you have chosen also on the type of subfloor you have: concrete, wood, or tiles. These factors will influence the installation options available to you, which include floating or glue-down installations.
Solid hardwood flooring is typically nailed or stapled to a wood subfloor. Engineered hardwood, on the other hand, can be glued down or installed as a floating floor, depending on the subfloor and the product selected.
In order to install your wood floor, the subfloor on which the wood is going to be installed must be level, firm, dry and clean. The wood must be allowed to acclimate to the temperature of the room in which it is going to be installed for 3 days, which should have a relative humidity of 30-60% and a minimum temperature of 18˚C. Wooden floors should be stored under the same climatic conditions as above and not directly on/against concrete. The packs must not be opened until immediately before installation.
Engineered wood flooring can be floated with a Tongue and Groove or a click and lock installation. With this installation method, the wood planks are joined together with interlocking joints, creating a single, continuous layer that ‘floats’ over the subfloor on top of a suitable underlay.
Glue down engineered flooring is preferred by many for its high stability. This installation method involves gluing the engineered wood directly to the subfloor instead of using a floating floor method. This is because it will not move as time passes, which is preferred by many. It is an ideal engineered hardwood flooring glue down installation method over concrete or other uneven surfaces where other types of installation might not work. And is the only way to install parquet blocks.