A floating floor describes a specific way of installing a floor. Floating flooring is typically installed over a layer of suitable underlay laid over an appropriate subfloor. However, a floating floor isn’t fixed down to the subfloor using nails or adhesive, instead relying on the entire weight of the floorboards to keep it in position.
There are several factors to be considered before installing a floating wooden floor. The floating floor technique isn’t recommended for a solid wooden floor, over underfloor heating or in rooms larger than 30 square metres in size.
Floating floors are perfect for small rooms and can be installed using engineered timber flooring.
Engineered hardwood flooring features a real hardwood top layer, replicating the look of real wood flooring. The hidden layers are ordinarily made of up to three layers of softwood or plywood manufactured from a blend of birch wood.
Before a floating engineered wood floor can be installed, ensure you have selected and installed an appropriate underlay over the subfloor.
Nufloors Australia stocks various types of underlay, designed to address specific requirements such as noise reduction or act as a moisture barrier.
To fit the floorboards, each of the four sides of the board should be stuck to guarantee soundness. Ensure there is an expansion gap of 1-2cm around the outside edges of the boards to allow for seasonal expansion and contraction of the floorboards. The gap will be covered by the skirting board.
