Can you glue down a click-n-lock engineered wood floor?

15 years ago

Is this ok to do? Reason why not to do?

It would be for a single story house with a concrete slab foundation. The planks are 3.5"w x 5/8" thick x 3'long. The instruction sheet says to float it but don't really care for the extra "hollow" sound that floated wood floors make. We did the floating install on half a small room and tried a couple different brands of 3/1 underlayments, with "fair" deadening results but not like the quietness of a glued down floor.

The brand of floor is the Home Legend hand scraped oak gunstock.

Thx

slyk

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slyk
Original Author

15 years ago

Thanks for the replies.
We got one small room done and are pleased with the results. Yes we did use a 3/1 underlayment and did not attempt to glue down. We used the 3/1 premium underlayment that HD sells, the red kind with the white styrofoam dots inside(can't remember the name). IMO it seemed to have a little better sound deadening than the the premium one that Lowes sells (blue one that looks like dense foam rubber). While it is not as quiet as a glue down engineered floor, it is definately not near as noisy as some of the cheap laminates I've walked on.
We will begin another room in the near future and I will check at one of the specialty flooring stores in town for the "Sound Solutions" brand that Jerry recommended and try that. Our city is not that big so my local choices are limited.

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Comments (7)

floorguy
15 years ago
I wouldn't attempt it. Your going to have a mess!

Why didn't you buy something meant to be glued? And don't say price!!
slyk
Original Author
15 years ago
Just couldn't find what we wanted in a glue down style. The closest thing we found was a 1/2" x 5" wide engineered wood floor that had the small tongue/groove fit together but didn't care for the finish, had a plastic cheap laminate look/feel to it.
Can you expand about what kind of mess would happen that wouldn't happen with a glue down t&g style? The only thing I could imagine would be some possible glue splattering when knocking the boards in place, or is there some other unforeseen (short term/long term)problem that would occur?
We can live with the underlayment in place, its not that big of a deal but if it could be glued down w/o any problems then I'd rather do that.
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Before glueless floating wood floors, you had to use a PVA type II adhesive, on the tongue or in the groove, and the use of strap clamps to compress, for a tight fit. Properly milled flooring capable of gluing t&G are still made. Not all engineered can be floated. Some have to sloppy of a T&G to do so. Those are usually gluedown only.
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Thank you jerry_t for letting me know that tests need to be performed so I can ask the right questions to decide who I am hiring to perform the work. One installer who does not sell hardwood but only installs told my friend today, that if someone moves all the furniture and heavy file cabinets and makes the place ready for installing hardwood and if I had ordered the engineered wood already and acclimated it, he would install it for $2.50/sq ft as a floating floor. But then again, he has not done testing. I looked up some glues and some of the more expensive glues sound like they would have less moisture resistance problems. Another place about 1 hour from here would install the floor with glue for $2.40. Another place says $5.00 sq. ft including the best moisture resistance glue. Then there are all the other costs with the quarter-round and floor separating moldings for the three rooms that I am getting prices of $550 to $600. At this point I want someone who knows what they are doing. I do not want someone moving the furniture back in here and scratching my floor. This is getting to be overwhelming due to the office furniture. The family room will be easy to move the furniture back and forth. How should I clean the cement floor to get out any pee smells in case any pee has gone from the padding to the cement floor? The installers want $.50/sq ft to remove the carpet if I do not have it removed which does not include throwing it away for me. My brother told me last night that he would help me install the floor but he is more familiar with installing carpets and did not even know what engineered wood was. I want to make sure I do not have future problems and the job has to be done in about 3 days if possible for about 628 sq. feet so I can get back to work. I was told by one guy 6% waste to buy and another 10% waste to buy. I am pretty sure I am going with the BR-111 Triangulo Engineered Brazilian Cherry in the three rooms and doing tile in the foyer areas. I want to do tile in the kitchen since sometimes I get water in the cups in my dishwasher and it pours on my floor.
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To get an accurate reading on moisture you'll need to perform a calcium chloride test like this. If you are dry you can go either way on your installation. Gluing it down is more solid / better sounding installation method. You can even go with a moisture block adhesive to give you more peace of mind. To not have the hollow sound for a click lock install, make sure you go with a premium high density underlayment - not the cheap bubble-wrap looking stuff. We only sell high quality Healthier Choice Sound Solution and OmniChoice underlayment. Both have the highest sound ratings in the market. A non-moisture block adhesive and a quality underlayment will cost you roughly about the same money. Alan Ward
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jerry_t
15 years ago
Get the concrete as flat a possible. Use Sound Solutions underlayment and that 5/8" thick floor will feel almost as solid as a glue down.
peachiepie
15 years ago
SlyK,

I am just reading your message. I have the exact product and floor color that you mentioned. Do not alter--it will void your warranty. My installer used the underlayment as instructed. I have never had a hardwood floor before and so I'm not sure about a "sound". I have experienced no loudness from walking on the floors. I am enjoying mine.

I have it in three bedrooms, a hallway and my foyer.
c_woodrome01_insightbb_com
13 years ago
i want to put tile with it can it be done
HU-305492147
3 years ago
Although not in any way 'necessary' due to the self-interlocking nature of the click system. (In fact that was why it was developed) However, there is absolutely no reason I can ascertain why the click systems can't also be nailed or glued down to the substrate if desired just like an engineered T+G system if one likes the totally solid feel underfoot.

Solid wood flooring is nailed or glued down to try to limit its thermal movement. Engineered flooring is in fact cross plyed layers of wood anyway which are all glued to each other to enhance stability. So fixing it again down to the substrate rather than installing in a floating way would have no adverse effects.

It would be in no way any messier (as suggested by user floorguy) than any other system ! It is all in the skill of the installer. Not all DIYers are hacks after all. Infact they can do a better/neater job than a pro as they are not conscience of the time to finish and move on to the next job.

But like i said, it rather goes against the point of the system BUT can be done if required.

Achitect

Can you glue down a click-n-lock engineered wood floor?

slyk
Original Author

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floorguy

slyk
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Can you glue down a click-n-lock engineered wood floor?

slykOriginal Author

Comments (7)

floorguy

slykOriginal Author

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slyk
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slyk
Original Author