When it comes to home decorations, floors play a vital role. Your floors can create a lasting impression on your visitors as they step into your home for the first time. For many homeowners, floating floors are cost-efficient alternatives of adding beauty to the home.
When purchasing a floating floor, you’ll come across many questions about how to install a floating floor. Can you glue down a floating floor? What type of floating plank is suitable for gluing down? Should you glue down floating floors? If you’re wondering about these questions and confused about what to do, worry less. This article has provided the answers you need about floating floors before installing them.
Can You Glue Down A Floating Floor
The best part of floating floors is that you do not need to glue them down. Attached to every floating door is a grove locking system and tongue that joins the planks together. Due to their ability to respond to temperature, some laminated floating floors do not need to get glued down. They get damaged if you apply glue to them. However, it is advisable that you glue the planks to prevent moisture from penetrating through the groves and tongues, especially while installing them in a water-prone space such as restroom.
Although you can have several reasons for gluing your floor down, maybe to get rid of crackling and squeaking noises which is one of the problems associated with floating floors, or perhaps it can help extend the connections of the click lock technique floating.
Should You Glue Down Floating Floors
Unless the manufacturers recommend that you glue down a floating floor, you do not need to do so. If you have no problem with installing them, you do not have to get the floating doors glued down. Moreover, while installing the floating floor, gluing them down shouldn’t be the major concern.
In addition, it is imperative that you level the floor before you make any arrangement to glue down the floor. Moreover, the soundproof padding located beneath your floating floor, if glued down, may prevent you from enjoying the benefits associated with the padding, such as reducing noises by the floating floor and heat resistance.
Although there are no reasons why you need to glue down the floating floor, there are specific reasons why you might consider gluing them down. These reasons include:
For instance, you accidentally installed your floating floor that caused it to make annoying sounds. And you discovered the sounds are a result of the wrong installation. In situations like this, you have no other option than to glue down the floating floor.
You might also consider gluing down the floating floor due to the mobility of planks. One thing about these floors is that they have the potential move across the floor, and shift over time. If you find this movement disturbing, you might want to glue down the floating floor. However, continuous gluing down can reduce the lifespan of the floating floor. Also, it makes the floating board permanent; it can get damaged while trying to remove it.
What Types of Floating Planks Can Be Glued
Can you glue the floating vinyl floor?
There are two methods of installing the vinyl floor. Either glue down or floating. A floating vinyl floor is usually easier to install because it does not require the use of adhesive. In this method, vinyl floating floors are sealed together using a built-in tongue and groove and installed directly upon the floor.
A floating vinyl floor is ideal for rooms that are not extremely spacious such as restrooms and kitchens. While gluing down your vinyl floor is excellent for larger spaces to make it’s durable. Also, gluing down the vinyl floor lessens the chances of it shifting, especially when you place heavy things upon the floor.
Can You Glue Down Click Lock Vinyl Floor
You do not have to glue the click lock type of vinyl floor down. However, you can install it. The installation includes two distinct methods: glued down method or floated method. These installation methods require no glue, and it only requires that you look the two flooring edges together. This method is most appropriate for enclosed or small areas.
Although it doesn’t require any glue, it doesn’t mean you can glue it down without glue. You might consider gluing it down to reduce the noises they make (due to the wrong installation) or prevent them from moving.
Can You Glue Down Engineered Hardwood
To get the best out of engineered hardwood, you need to glue it down. Although it can float too, most people prefer the down gluing method because it’s more stable when you glue it down.
Getting an engineered hardwood glued down, especially on concrete, can be an ideal option to try. However, the base requires fixing to prevent popping and position the surface. By gluing down your hardwood floor, it reduces the chances of it moving under your feet while walking across it. Hence, it prevents it from making any noise.
How To Glue Down Your Floating Floor Correctly
Although you necessarily do not need to get floating floors glued down, some situations might call for it. However, ways of getting floating floors glued down vary from one another. The surface gluing method has proven to be the best in recent time. The edge gluing design refers to gluing down theplank edges to make them retain a stable position. Usually, this method is often used in moisture-prone areas to prevent water from penetrating the planks by the virtue of the seams.
Below are things necessary to put in place before getting your floating floors glued down.
1. Ensure the floors you are gluing down are in a perfect shape
Ensuring the floor you intend to glue down is in a perfect shape can help reduce unnecessary stress. You can search for boards having same patterns or colors, and remember to check whether any plank is bent. Make sure they are all straight and flat.
2. Arrange the bond in the level you think it’s best
Ensure the attractive part of each floating floor appears on the upper side. Arrange the floors to size in a manner that appears beautiful.
3. Spread the bead of glue in an even manner
Adjust the bottle containing the glue closer to the board to enhance equal spread of the glue.If you have a spring band at your disposal, you can use it to keep the board upward while gluing. Do not make the mistake of applying glue to the two surfaces you are joining together. There should be application of glue to only one surface.
4. Press both boards you are gluing together
The most-effective way to ensure glue spreads on the board’s edges is by gluing and pressing both edges together and sliding against here and there against one another.
5. Ensure the glue joints are well-fit before clamping
Make sure you free the boards, and go through the surfaces. Check to make sure that an even and thin row of glue is on each part of the board. Then apply a bit more glue and press them together.
6. Clamping
When you’re through with clamping both boards that you intend gluing together, you’ll notice an equal amount of glue pinch out around the whole part of the board.
7. Set the top surfaces carefully
When you arrange the aligned board’s surfaces properly, it will save you the stress of sanding the board’s surfaces.
8. Remove the extra glue
Don’t forget to remove the excess glue from the boards when it has turned into a jelly-like form. This should happen around 20 minutes.
9. Make the rough surfaces smooth
Remember to go through the different surfaces of the boards to check if there are any irregularities. Make sure you correct all irregularities before the glue gets dry.
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Now that you know more about installing floating floors, create that wow expression on your visitor’s eyes when they step into your home with the amazing floors.