Let's take Armstrong Flooring as an example:
A floating floor installation is a fast and easy DIY project. There's no glue, staples, or nails. Boards attach to each other through a tongue-and-groove design. See how to do it yourself in this video.
Learn how to install a fast and easy Lock&Fold® floating floor and a traditional tongue-and-groove hardwood floor.
A floating floor is a type of hardwood installation system where the floor "floats" over the subfloor. With this system, the individual hardwood boards have tongue and groove edges that fit together and are locked in place. The entire floor is bonded to itself and not the subfloor.
You can only float Armstrong engineered hardwood floors, not solid hardwoods. Engineered wood floors are real wood floors that are manufactured for enhanced stability. On the surface, they look and perform exactly like solid hardwood floors, but their inner core consists of multi-ply layers that provide additional strength and make the boards resistant to changes in temperature and humidity.
Many of Armstrong's engineered hardwood floors feature Lock&Fold technology, a floating floor system that is fast and easy to install. There's no glue, nails, or staples' boards simply lock together and fold into place. This installation method delivers a tight fit and seamless appearance. We highly recommend this system for experienced DIYers.
Check the engineered hardwood installation guide for the installation methods recommended for your flooring choice. Some engineered floors are designed with tongue-and-groove boards that lock together with glue, which is applied to the groove and the ends. This is another type of floating floor that an experienced DIYer can handle, but it will take more time than the Lock&Fold system described above.
Floating floors let you put the beauty of genuine hardwood in moisture-prone rooms, like basements, where a solid wood floor is not recommended. In a floating installation, boards respond to humidity and temperature changes as a unit, expanding toward the walls or contracting away. A properly installed floating floor should not bow or buckle in a moist environment, or develop gaps under dry conditions .
Lock and Fold / Floating Hardwood Floors are available in many brand names: Armstrong Performance Plus, Baltic Wood, Kahrs, Quick Step, Bruce, Mirage, Preverco PreLock.
