When planning a flooring project, either a new construction floor installation or renovation and replacement of existing flooring, it is important to go over a few imperative details. Over the years, homeowners and commercial companies have researched extensively on which kind of flooring best suit their needs. At Windsor Plywood, we have a team of professionals with a high level of flooring industry expertise and years of experience to take away the unnecessary burden of having to live with an expensive mistake. We offer a wide variety of floors and services to see your flooring project through from start to finish.

What are the Different TYPES OF FLOORS

INSTALLATION

Most people typically envision a hammer, nails, and lots of backbreaking work when thinking about installing hardwood flooring. It need not be. The three most common methods of new and replacement floor installation are:

1. Nail Down – For solid hardwood and some engineered flooring, nailing down is the most common installation method. As the name implies, the process involves nailing the flooring directly to a wood subfloor. Typically, the flooring is “blind nailed” through the tongue (a portion of the wood plank that protrudes from the board and fits into the groove of the adjacent board). With this method, the nails are nearly invisible after installation.
   – Most common
   – Wood subfloor
   – Solid & engineered floors only
   – Recommended for on grade or above grade installations only
2. Glue Down – The glue down method involves using adhesives to adhere the flooring to the subfloor. Adhesives work by creating a bond between the subfloor and the flooring through a chemical reaction process.
   – Suitable for some engineered flooring, some solid hardwoods, dryback vinyl plank and sheet vinyl
   – Use at grade, above grade or even below grade in the basement
   – Wood or concrete subfloor
3. Floating – Using this method, the flooring is neither nailed nor glued to the subfloor, but floated above it. The flooring, is either tongue and groove glued or clicked together using a special edge and end profile that lock the individual planks together. This gives the floor stability without actually fastening it to the subfloor. This installation method is ideal over floors such as tile, linoleum or other floor coverings, which can be difficult to remove. This method is also good over concrete subfloors and floors with radiant heat. Before beginning a floating installation, the subfloor is checked for suitable moisture content and care should be taken to ensure the floor is level. Any high or low spots must be levelled prior to installation. A plastic moisture barrier or underlay can be laid on the subfloor prior to installation of the flooring to prevent moisture from causing issues such as swelling. An underlay can also help to reduce the transmission of sound from floor to ceiling as well as creating a thermal break between a warm room and a chilly concrete slab.
   – Engineered, laminate and some rigid vinyl plank flooring
   – All grades, especially below grade
   – Good for concrete subfloors

OTHER ConsiderATIONS

• Underlay – Engineered and laminate and some floating vinyl plank flooring will need an underlay. Because these flooring types are “floating,” there will always be a slight space between the flooring and the subfloor. The Underlay is designed to fill this gap and absorb movement, reducing “chatter” for a quieter floor. Some underlays add an acoustical, thermal and moisture barrier. Ask a Windsor Plywood expert about what underlay would work best in your home.
• Floor Mouldings – Add the final touch to your floors with floor mouldings. These give your room the “finished look”. They are also required in some cases when a floating floor transitions from room to room through a door threshold.
• FloorScore – IAQ or Indoor Air Quality is important because, if you’re like most people, you spend around 90% of your time indoors. Click here for more details.