Okay, I'll probably be starting the wood floor in our house sometime next week. I've been planning on stapling/nailing (got the compressor, but still need to locate a nailer) it down. But a few folks have suggested gluing...

Any opinions?

I'll be installing prefinished engineered flooring 3/8" thick over 3/4" OSB...

 

I'm no guru, but I have heard that gluing the flooring down is not a good idea. I can see why it wouldn't be a good idea, but I can also see the benefits of gluing it down.

Sometime this spring, we will start the remodel on our home. I'm interested in the replies from guru's, so I posted to subscribe to this thread.

BTW ... Got any new pics of the house?

 

do as the manufacturer suggest, most of the flooring you are talking about is a floating floor, no nails or staples, with or without under lament

 

Beware the glue you need to allow for expansion and contraction of the wood. Never glue unless directions say too. Good luck.

 

Directions say, glue or nail...

this is tongue and groove, not interlocking...

 

We have put wood flooring in 3 rooms of our house and it's easy-peezy. We're on a slab foundation so we couldn't use "real" hardwood but we got some great hardwood click'n'lock stuff at Home Depot. It's real wood on the top, not laminent. You just lay down a moisture barrier and then go to town.

Here's the best pic of the floor that I could find on this pc

 

and its only 3/8 thick, mmmm, haven't seen that style, sounds like it will split out at the tongue if you nail it.

 

Better safe than sorry.

If this was my project, I'd skip the glue. If for any reason you ever have to rip the flooring up, it would be a bad day to be you.

 

Two weeks or so ago I just installed 3/8" Bruce Engineered tongue and groove wood flooring. If it is the same type it is designed to float. Really can't nail it down easily.

I installed over a concrete slab. I installed a high quality underlayment pad. Then each board went down, no direct attachment to the subfloor. Each row got a line of high quality wood glue in the groove. This allows the tongue to glue to the groove. The glue should go on the bottom of each groove not the back. The floor has expansion all the way around but it expands as one piece now.

It looks great IMO. Didn't take too long but the knees and back hurt something awful.

If you have questions or want pics let me know. I will help if I can.

In fact I think the wife took pics as it was going down. I'll drum them up if it helps.

 

That was my main reason for wanting to staple. That, and I assume stapling is quicker/cleaner...

 

Yes, that is what I'm using. Bruce 3/8" tongue/groove engineered oak... I've never been a fan of floating floors though. They always sound hollow. How does it sound. This to me, sounds even easier than nailing, but just never seemed to me to be a good option...

So, when setting the first piece you just eyeball it, and hope it stays in place?

Yes, pix please... and any other info you can provide...

 

There is a sound difference between solid hardwood and the engineered hardwood. I have both in my house. I had no choice as I was going onto a concrete slab tough. I don't think it is bad just different. If you are going on to plywood you will have better contact I suspect and a quieter walk. The underlayment is crucial. Get some good stuff.

The first piece is the hardest and toughest to explain. I struck a chalkline the width of the board away from the part of the wall that stuck out the farthest. (wall is weird). I can show you in pics. Used that chalk line to scribe and cut the first row. If you use spacers, Paint stirs in my case, they actually sell spacers though, to keep a 1/4" from the wall the rows won't walk or move on you. Once you get a few rows down you'll be fine and it moves fast.

The floor feels solid except for one spot that wasn't totally level but I found it after I was way to far in. That spot bugs me but not enough to rip the whole floor up. Just make sure that sucker is as level as you can get it.

If I can run home during lunch I'll get the pics today, if not I'll get them tonight for you. If you want drop me an email. I don't know how many pics she took but I'll see what I have.

 

Uh . . . in case you missed it, there's a dead body lying on your floor.

 

We just walk around it.

 

I glued mine, because I did not want any squeaks later on. But the others are right, you better like it because you will never get it up. The glue is expensive at least mine was $100 for a 4 gallon bucket.