With so many leaps in technology it is now easier to install hardwood floors than ever before. Two of those emerging technologies are glued down strip flooring and floating strip flooring. Both of these are considered engineered hardwood flooring.
Glued down strip flooring is considered to be the best flooring investment you can make for the price. It is also surprisingly easy to install. It basically consists of a top layer of the actual hard wood and multiple 'under layers' of soft wood. This is done so that the layers of wood are less likely to contract and expand along with humidity as well as the resistance of warping or swelling over the life of your floors. While this type of flooring has been popular in Europe for several decades it has only recently gained popularity among Americans.
Floating flooring is the second type of engineered hardwood flooring. This is a very easy lock together type of system of installation. The flooring comes in strips that are made of a hardwood top layer and a less expensive wood backing. Depending on the particular product you are getting the hardwood layer will be anywhere between .5 mm and 2.5 mm thick. This type of flooring is referred to as a veneer because it is generally too thin to either sand or stain. The thicker hardwood layers can be sanded and finished at least one time.
The installation of these floors is relatively simple as the pieces come in strips and fit together like puzzle pieces that lock into place. All you really need to do is lock the pieces into place and lay them on top of your sub flooring. The special design of these boards works to create a type of surface tension. This allows them to be walked on and hold a tremendous amount of weight. This type of flooring is also very easy to keep clean.
You should consider a few things before installing either flooring type. First of all, both types of flooring can be purchased as multi-strips or wide plank boards. The primary difference being that a multi-strip board is a combination of hardwood with a softwood back and a wide plank board is one solid piece of hardwood. The wide plank pieces also offer a more rustic look by tending to have beveled edges rather than the smooth square edges of the multi-strip boards, which tend to create smooth seems.
When choosing the flooring system you wish to install, make sure that you are aware of and understand the specific procedure for the particular boards you chose. Berryloc and Uniclic offer two of the strongest types of interlocking flooring systems. If price is a consideration, avoid sanding and staining like the plague and choose floors made from the less expensive and attractive thinner hardwood top layers. Mahogany, Wenge, Bamboo, and Zebrano make excellent choices for this type of flooring.
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