What is a Floating Floor?

A floating floor is any floor that does not need or cannot be nailed or glued down to the subfloor. In most cases, the floating installation method refers to engineered, laminate, or rigid click flooring installed on top of an underlay. The underlay, along with the locking system of the boards, keeps the floor stable and in place.

• It is quick and easy to install as the boards simply click or tap together over an underlay, making it perfect for DIY projects by homeowners.
• The underlay can be laid directly over concrete, giving it an advantage over nailed boards.Underlays also offer excellent heat and sound insulation, as well as protection from residual moisture for your floor. This is ideal for keeping your home cozy and footsteps quiet, which can be challenging with glue-down flooring. If you are installing a floating floor over underfloor heating, there are specifically designed underlays with low thermal resistance available, allowing the heat to pass through.

While a floating floor system is convenient and versatile, it is not always the best choice for every type of flooring. For non-rigid click luxury vinyl tile, parquet floors, and solid wood flooring, it is necessary to fully bond the flooring to the subfloor.

Therefore, if you are looking for a simple installation method that you can do without professional help, a floating floor system is likely the best option for you.

• Laminates
• Rigid click LVT (often comes with underlay built-in)
• Engineered

• Solid wood
• Parquet
• Non-rigid click LVT

When choosing your underlay for your floating floor, there are several factors to consider:

• Concrete or Wood Ground Floor Substrate: If you are going to float your flooring on top of concrete or a wood ground floor substrate, we would always recommend that you use an underlay that has a built-in vapour barrier. This is not to be mistaken with a DPM (damp proof membrane). This vapour barrier will provide protection against residual moisture rising from the grounds below. Products like Timbertech 3mm and 2mm, along with the Comfort green range, are perfect for this.

• Upstairs Installations: If you are going to float your flooring in an upstairs location, we would recommend an underlay that has great sound-deadening qualities, such as the fibre board.
• Underfloor Heating: Finally, if you are thinking of installing your flooring over underfloor heating, we would recommend that you use a low tog underlay such as the Trojan Traffic XL. This will allow maximum efficiency for the transfer of the heat to your flooring.

• Easy install
• Quicker to install
• Noise reduction
• Heat insulation
• Easy to remove
• Easily repaired

• Can sound hollow
• Susceptible to more expansion and contraction
• Limited refinishing
• Slight compression movement might be felt

Some points to consider:

• Subfloor Flatness: Underlay will not make an uneven subfloor flat, no matter how thick it is. If you have a discrepancy of more than 3mm in the flat surface of your subfloor, you will need to complete remedial works to ensure your subfloor is flat enough to take the floor covering. Failure to do this will lead to more compressive vertical movement of the flooring underfoot, giving you the feeling that the flooring is moving or bouncing. If completed correctly, you should not be able to tell the difference between a floor glued to the subfloor or a floating floor.