Why Glue Down Hardwood Flooring

The installation of hardwood floors by the glue down method is used predominately on concrete slabs.

Why glue down hardwood flooring.

Around the house the rooms with the most traffic such as the front hallway the kitchen and the recreation room are better served by glue down flooring than floating flooring but if you re considering a whole house. A glue down floor is usually a better choice in high traffic areas like commercial buildings and industrial spaces because the glue provides extra holding power. While a glue down installation is the most expensive and labor intensive of the three options it s also considered the most stable method of installation. Boards adhere well to the rough surface of the concrete subfloor and therefore lead to less gaps or planks lifting and buckling.

Engineered hardwood floors can be glued or nailed into position but they also have the option of being floated over an underlay. Solid hardwood floors must be fixed into position by either gluing or nailing down to the subfloor. Applications are more prominent with residential construction in sunbelt areas commercial locations and high rise dwellings. They allow the wood board to expand and contract but they do not grow or shrink nearly as much as they would with a floating or nail.

If installing glue down hardwood flooring in a new house completely close the building in with all outside doors and windows in place. Subfloor preparation is critical on all job sites but especially for glue down. Glue down hardwood floors on concrete. The glue down method.

Glue down hardwood flooring often sounds more like real solid hardwood flooring than floating floors do. Reduces but does not eliminate wood movement. That s because of the elastic quality of glue which allows the floor to expand and contract naturally with the seasons. With that said one of the most important factors while dealing with glue down installation is going to be your subfloor.

The wall coverings and painting should be completed before the installation of the hardwood flooring. If you choose to fix your hardwood floor into position you then have the choice of either gluing your floor to the subfloor using flexible flooring adhesive to. Newer adhesives are elastomeric. When working on a clean concrete subfloor the glue down method is often the go to choice.

Glue down hardwood floor installation. The adhesives used to glue wood down to a subfloor make for an extremely strong bond. All wet work such as concrete masonry framing members drywall paint etc should be thoroughly dry.