How Difficult Is it to Put in Simulated Hardwood Floors?

Simulated Hardwood Flooring

• Simulated hardwood flooring, also called floating or engineered flooring, comes in planks with a pressed fiber base and a thin veneer of real hardwood or a wood look-alike product. The planks feature tongue-and-groove installation, and the cost ranges from affordable to nearly as expensive as real hardwood, depending on the quality of the planks. Bundled in boxes, the planks come with their own set of installation instructions and a list of recommended matching trim accessories and required installation tools.

Floor Prep

• As long as the floor is relatively level and free from debris, you can probably install simulated flooring without too much trouble. While there are a few exceptions, in general, simulated flooring is acceptable in places not suited for real wood, including installation below grade. The planks install over existing flooring, such as old vinyl, hardwood or ceramic tile, without having to tear out the old floor first. A vapor barrier like polyethylene film installs over the existing floor to protect the bottom of the simulated flooring from moisture.

Required Tools and Supplies

• The tools required to install simulated flooring include a measuring tape, chalk line, carpenter’s square and a chop saw or circular saw for cutting and fitting the planks at the end of a row. The simulated flooring manufacturer may recommend the use of special blocks and mallets used to drive the planks together without damaging them. Since simulated floors do not attach directly to the subfloor, no flooring nailer, hammer or screwdriver is necessary. Some types of simulated flooring require glue.

Installation

• Installing the flooring is similar to assembling a puzzle; each plank fits snugly to adjacent planks. Installation begins in a corner and continues in a straight row. You’ll align and slide the tongue-and-groove ends tightly together until you reach the end of the wall where you must cut the final plank to fit. The cut off piece of plank is then used to start the next row. In this way, the seams between the planks are naturally staggered, and there is little waste. Fitting the planks may involve bumping them together with a block and mallet or positioning the sides at an angle and snapping the pieces together.