Floating Flooring Review: Pros and Cons

A floating floor is a method of installing floor coverings rather than a type of flooring itself. Laminate flooring, luxury vinyl plank and tile, and some engineered hardwoods—these are all types of floors installed as floating floors.

The flooring units interlock edge-to-edge to form a single mat-like surface that rests on the underlayment. It is quite different from the glue-down or nail-down methods that are still used for ceramic and stone tiles, and which were once standard for most flooring materials.

How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring

Due to its simple attachment method, floating floor installation is a favorite method for do-it-yourselfers. No harsh adhesives are needed. It's not necessary to rent compressors or floor staplers.

A well-installed floating floor requires a solid, level subfloor. Some floating floors can feel hollow underfoot, lacking the solidity of nailed-down hardwood or bonded ceramic tile.

Types of Floating Floors

Laminate flooring and luxury vinyl flooring are the most prominent examples of floating floors.

Laminate Flooring

With laminate flooring, the floating method allows the flooring to respond to changes in a room's relative humidity by expanding and contracting without buckling.

Laminate flooring planks are generally joined with a modified tongue-and-groove system often known as click-lock or fold-and-lock. The shape of the interlocking grooves may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer since there are several proprietary methods of connection.

Luxury Vinyl Flooring

Like laminate flooring, luxury vinyl flooring snaps together board-to-board. Tiny tongues and grooves engineered into the boards allow them to lock together. Some forms of LVF are semi-flexible planks, while others have semi-rigid cores.

Engineered Wood Flooring

Most engineered wood flooring is installed by nailing or stapling it down to a plywood subfloor.

However, some types are installed as floating floors. Similar to laminate flooring, engineered wood flooring is designed with a decorative surface layer glued over a plywood or MDF core. The main difference is that engineered wood flooring's decorative surface is real wood, not an image of wood.

Cost of Floating Floors

Nationally, the average costs for floating flooring materials plus labor are:

• Laminate flooring: $2.70 - $10 per square foot; cost varies depending on type and finish
• Luxury vinyl flooring (LVF): About $7 per square foot
• Engineered hardwood: $5 to $8 per square foot (average-grade product)

Maintenance

Cleaning for laminate and luxury vinyl floors is generally a matter of sweeping the surface with a soft, dry broom or dust mop. Damp-mopping is allowed but infrequently and only with a squeezed-out damp mop. With engineered hardwood, you should avoid the use of water.

Repair

Replacement of damaged planks or boards is typically much easier for floating floors than for glue-down or nail-down flooring.

If a floating floor becomes damaged, the planks can be progressively stripped back until the damaged section is reached.

One type of floating floor called loose lay dispenses with side joints. The flooring units fit side by side, relying on a friction backing and the combined weight of the units to hold the floor in place. With loose lay, damaged planks anywhere within the edge or field can be lifted straight up and replaced.

Floating Floor Installation

First, the installer prepares the subfloor, making sure that the surface is as flat and smooth as possible. Any flexing or unevenness of the subfloor will be transmitted to the relatively thin layer of surface flooring. So, a flat, solid substrate is essential to a good installation.

Then, an underlayment is applied to the subfloor. This is often a thin layer of dense, resilient foam that is rolled out over the subfloor. This layer helps to absorb any flexing in the surface flooring and makes it softer and quieter underfoot. Some types of floating flooring are engineered with a resilient underlayment bonded right to the planks. With these, no additional underlayment is necessary.

Next, the flooring planks are assembled, beginning along one wall and proceeding across the room to the opposite wall. All floating floors are generally installed with a small gap along the walls, which allows the flooring to expand and contract with seasonal humidity and temperature changes, preventing the floor from buckling. The small gaps around the perimeter of the room are usually hidden by baseboard shoe moldings.

Top Brands of Floating Floors

The main brands for materials for floating floors vary according to the type of material.

• Bruce: Bruce offers affordable products widely available at home improvement centers.
• COREtec: COREtec flooring products are renowned for their water resistance.
• LL Flooring: Formerly known as Lumber Liquidators, this company's house brand of engineered wood flooring is sourced from factories around the world. Based on consumer reviews, quality and selection are good for flooring that is so affordable.
• Mohawk: Mohawk is a premium brand that offers more than 200 different selections of luxury vinyl flooring.
• Pergo: The original manufacturer of laminate flooring, Pergo is, by some estimates, the best overall manufacturer of laminate floating flooring.
• Tarkett: Tarkett offers six different styles of laminate flooring in a variety of wood grain textures and colors.

Comfort and Convenience

Because the materials simply lay on the subfloor and are rather thin, floating floors typically feel somewhat hollow and are sometimes loud underfoot—especially laminates.

This problem can be minimized by the installation of good-quality foam underlayment and by using area rugs and runners.

Is a Floating Floor Right for You?

A floating floor can be a good choice if you are a DIYer, or if you are on a budget. These products are typically less expensive and easier to install than comparable glue-down or nail-down flooring.

While some floating floors are regarded as cheap in appearance and performance, luxury vinyl is a fairly premium material that won't compromise real estate value.