Floating Floorboards vs. Solid Floorboards

Floating Floor Features

• Floating floors, so called because the floor surface does not attach to the subfloor, gives homeowner's flexibility in choosing wood type and color. Each floating floor plank has a laminated fiber base that resists moisture better than does solid wood, making floating floors a better choice for installation below grade or in rooms subject to high humidity. The surface of the planks feature real wood, so the floor has an authentic wood look and appeal. Because the real wood layer is very thin, dozens of exotic wood types, such as Brazilian cherry, tropical teak or Santos mahogany, are available at prices much more affordable than they would be in solid wood.

Solid Flooring Features

• Solid flooring planks often come in random lengths, because the trees used to harvest the boards are not of equal size. Solid wood planks are more likely to move than are engineered planks, swelling when exposed to moisture and contracting when subjected to very dry conditions. To reduce this effect, hardwood-flooring installers recommend bringing the wood planks into the room where you will install them at least two weeks before installation. This gives the wood a chance to acclimate to the room’s environment.

Installation

• Both types of floor planks feature tongue-and-groove installation, but floating floors are more suitable for do-it-yourselfers, because no nails or screws are necessary. Solid floors require angled nailing through the tongue of the plank into the floor joist that lies beneath the subfloor. Solid planks install over a layer of felt or resin paper. Floating floors install over a vapor barrier made from polyethylene film or a similar moisture-resistant liner.

Considerations

• Solid floor planks typically cost more than floating floor planks, and the cost of labor to install solid wood is higher than that required for floating floor installation. While floating floor planks come in a wide array of surface options, the downside is that most floating floor planks cannot be refinished. The exception is a relatively expensive hardwood-engineered plank that features a thick layer of surface wood, which permits the homeowner to lightly refinish the flooring surface once or twice.