Installing Tongue And Grooved Engineered Wood Flooring

Engineered wood flooring is extremely desirable for many homeowners today because they are extremely beautiful and very versatile. They can in fact be installed over the majority of types of subfloor and are suitable for use in all rooms aside from wet rooms and bathrooms as well as over underfloor heating. The best methods of installation are floating or via full glue down.

Tongue And Grooved Floating Installation

Click System Floating Installation

If you want DIY friendly engineered wood flooring then floating installation is the way to go. It is extremely quick and easy to do and can be installed over any subfloor type. Tongue and grooved floors are easily fitted together via running a bead of PVA glue along the groove and affixing the tongue of the next board into it. You do not have to have any qualifications or prior training to be able to fit it. As such, you can just click the individual engineered wood flooring panels together.

You should use an approved underlay when installing engineered click flooring. For example, if you have a concrete subfloor then you should use an underlay with a built in membrane to damp proof it, such as a Barrier Plus. If you have a wood subfloor then a regular Barrier underlay will be sufficient. However, with underfloor heating you will need a completely different underlay, such as a Tuplex, to ensure that your flooring works well with the heating system.

An essential for installing engineered wood flooring is leaving a gap of 1cm around the edge of the room to allow for expansion. You can purchase installation kits with spacers in there to prevent damage to the floor and the skirting boards. To cover this gap after installation, you can install new skirting board or scotia. However, the gap has to be left around the doorways if the floor runs from one room to the next.

Full Glue Down Installation

The full glue down installation of engineered wood flooring requires a strong adhesive being applied directly onto the subfloor and the boards being laid directly on top of that. The subfloor underneath can be made of either wood or concrete so the method is versatile but it is also extremely time consuming because it requires a lot of floor preparation in advance. However, it is regarded by experts as one of the best installation methods available.

If you are laying the engineered wood flooring over a concrete subfloor then you will need to check the latter’s moisture levels beforehand. It should be less than 4%. If it is not then use a barrier to help prevent moisture affecting the engineered wood flooring. Sika MB Primer comes highly recommended. Sika MB Primer is also a good idea foe use on a wood floor as well as a concrete subfloor to ensure that the adhesive bonds correctly.

If you have laid new concrete slabs before your engineered wood flooring then be sure to leave it for at least 60 days before laying your wood flooring.

If you do have a concrete subfloor then you should ensure that it is level, smooth, dry and free from structural defects before laying your engineering wood flooring on it. Uneven subfloors should be smoothed out using a self-levelling compound. There should also be no paint, oils, waxes, grease, adhesives or dirt on the subfloor. It will be necessary to remove them in advance either physically or chemically. Just do not use any strippers with solvent bases or else the glue will not take when you install your engineered wood flooring.

If you have a wooden subfloor then it will be necessary to lay a half inch base of plywood before installing your engineered wood flooring in order to give you a smooth and level surface on which to lay it.

Finally, you should also fully consider just which adhesive you are to use during glue down installation. Some are only suitable for narrow flooring. However, using the wrong adhesive will affect your warranty so use Sika T55 Adhesive or Sika T52 Sausage Adhesive to prevent future issues.

An essential for installing engineered wood flooring is leaving a gap of 1cm around the edge of the room to allow for expansion. You can purchase installation kits with spacers in there to prevent damage to the floor and the skirting boards. To cover this gap after installation, you can install new skirting board or scotia. However, the gap has to be left around the doorways if the floor runs from one room to the next.

ATTENTION – INSTALLER/OWNER RESPONSIBILITY

Be sure to examine all of the engineered wood flooring before you begin installing it. We do provide rigorous periodic inspections but you should always make sure that there is no damage before laying it in your home. Our warranty does not cover damage incurred if the flooring has been installed.

You should also ensure that your own home and subfloor especially is environmentally and structurally acceptable for the engineered wood flooring installation. We are not responsible for any damage caused to the flooring resulting from the subfloor, subsurface, job site damage, deficiencies or using inadequate accessories after the hardwood flooring has been installed.

We strongly advise you to read the manufacturer’s installation guides before installing engineered wood flooring. They can be found in every 3rd pack of engineered flooring.