The majority of hardwood floors are installed in one of three ways: Nail-down, glue-down, or floating.

Nail-down installation is an option over most plywood subfloors. With a nail-down installation, nails or staples are driven on an angle through the tongues of the floor planks. One difference between this method and the now outdated “top-nail” method is that once the floor installation is complete, the nail heads cannot be seen. Nail-down installations are less costly than glue-down installations in that they spare the cost of adhesive. A nail-down installation results in a securely fastened floor that feels solid underfoot and does not require transition pieces such as t-caps and reducers.

Glue-down installation is a common method for installation of hardwood floors over concrete. It is the most costly method of installation, however it does result in a securely fastened floor with the same solid feel as a nail-down installation. In cases where extra sound-proofing is required, clients may prefer a double glue-down installation, where a cork or specially designed foam underlayment is glued to the subfloor, and the hardwood is then glued to this underlayment.

Floating installation is also done over concrete, however as the name suggests, the hardwood flooring is not fastened to the subfloor. Individual planks are either glued or click-locked together, and the floor is held in place by gravity. Because this method of installation results in a floor that is more susceptible to expansion and contraction than a nailed-down or glued-down floor, it is only appropriate when working with an engineered product, since engineered hardwood is a more stable product in terms of handling changes in humidity and temperature. A floating floor will typically feel less solid underfoot than a floor that has been nailed or glued.

Regardless of the installation method being used, an important step is to ensure that the subfloor has been properly prepared. There are methods for leveling both plywood and concrete substrates, and our professional, qualified installers are proficient with this critical step.