Floating Engineered Hardwood Floor
SteveSchoene
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
I am considering installing a engineered hardwood floating floor over my concrete slab floor on my mostly at grade lower level that also has radiant heat in the concrete. I have several questions that I am thinking about now as I plan the project.
First, are there brands to avoid, or ones that are particularly desirable, in a moderate price range? What would you consider a moderate price range–enough to assure durability and little chance of problems?
I will be installing a wet bar peninsula (sink, wine cooler, refrigerator, plus a bit of storage) into the area. Should that be mounted over the floor, or should the floor be fitted around the cabinetry, with clearances for movement to be covered by trim?
Replies
Research the flooring, some brands are not allowed over radiant heat. The manufacturers spec sheet usually tells.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
bump
I'm just sayin'
If its a "floating" floor then fit the floor around the cabinetry. If its ;nail down you can install cabs on top but I'd prolly secure cabs directly to concrete and fit floor around them.
As with everything, the more you spend the better the product is. I would say around $4 - $5 sf would get you a nice durable floor. Try to stay away from The Depot and Lowes.
One thing you might want to do is go on Ifloor.com and look and samples you might like, then go to your local flooring store and see if they have samples you can touch and feel. Then ask them if they willl match Ifloor price or at least come close to it. Give them business and give you someone local that can be held accountable .
Hydronic radiant heat is great.
I've installed Kahrs in my own home (birch) and my father (walnut) and father-in-law's (oak). I've been very impressed with it so far. What I like about it is this:
(this is what you should look for in any other manufacturer you look at)
- It has a nice thick (at least 1/8") top wear layer. This allows it to be refinished a few times.
- The whole board is about 5/8" thick. This (along with a quality underlayment and a flat subfloor) helps give the floor a more solid feeling underfoot. Since it's floating, anything thinner feels pretty hollow when you're walking around on it.
- It comes in 8 foot long by about a foot wide sections that interlock together very tightly (no glue). It is by far the fastest floor system to install I've ever worked with. I've tried to edge glue T&G flooring together before to form a floating floor, and we ended up throwing out the first 100' and just gluing it down to the slab. We couldn't get the joints tight enough without constantly stopping and clamping them together, then we couldn't add more until the glue had set up. If we waited too long to clamp, the boards just wouldn't pull tight because the glue had already set up.
Their Builder's line can be had for about $3.50 to $5.00 a square foot depending on what species you go with. Check the internet stores for the best prices (Google: "Discount Kahrs"). Avoid their Linnea line, it's a very thin veneered top wear layer. If you're a This Old House fan, it's the flooring they used in that 3 story shingle house at Manchester By the Sea (Radiant floors also).
There are some more manufacturers out there now that make an interlocking floor (Kahrs was one of the few when I did mine). They may also be good, I just only have experience with the Kahrs.
Good luck!
Jamie
One trick for setting an island on a floating floor is to lay out the island exactly where it will go on the slab, then attach a layer of plywood that is a hair thicker than the flooring. Make the plywood footprint one half inch smaller than the cabinets, so the cabinets will overhang the plywood by one quarter inch on all sides.
Then set the cabinets and the base trim on the island will cover the gap. This way, you can leave some room between the flooring and the plywood for expansion and contraction. The floor is free to float with no real weight holding it down.
This also works when running a floating floor in a kitchen with wall cabinets. vic
wow ... not the OP, but appreciated the great idea. We're doing the same thing this winter, so this will help.