How to Install Floating Floors in Five Easy Steps

A free floating floor is a terrific way to add something completely new to a room for little cash if you do it yourself. It can be done in one day’s time and with minimal tools. All you will need is a miter box and coping saw. Although buying a tool that is especially made for most free floating floors is required when installing some flooring, to prevent from voiding the warranty. Installing a free floating floor is easy with these five steps.

First you need to order the material and let it acclimate to the conditions of the room you are installing it into. Get the square footage of your room by multiplying length time’s width. Purchase all you’re flooring at once, if you have to go back and buy more you’ll find they are miss matched. Factory changes occur in the pattern in large lots. Some home improvement centers have special deals where the under-layment foam is ½ off or free if you order a certain amount of flooring. You might want to order more just to save that extra on the foam. When choosing from the store check all lot numbers and times of production are similar. Don’t pick any partially opened or dented packages.

Clean and sweep with a wet and dry vacuum to remove all the debris from the floor. Once you have your supplies. Lay the under-layment down first before removing the flooring from your vehicle. Tape all seams with the supplied tape or use duct tape. Leave about 1 inch from all the walls. This helps keep the paper from curling up into the base boards. Once the under-layment is done, bring in the flooring and stack 2 high in the corner of the room. Leave alone for two weeks or the amount the time it says on the warranty. This allows it time to cure to the inside of your home and any stretching or warping may occur it will do it now. It’s important not to open any of the packages until curing is completed.

Once the floor has been able to get used to being in your home, your ready to start cutting. First cut a 3 inch strip of plywood and tack to the wall farthest away from the door. This will be a spacer for the floating floor to move on without being hampered by the wall. Start your first row from left to right. Snap each piece in to the next and form the first row. Use a rubber mallet or flooring shoe to help the joints fit securely. There should be no gaps in the finished ends. At the end of the wall, flip the board over and on its back and spin the board 180 degrees around and put the board to the wall and mark it at the end of the previous board. Make the cut on a miter saw with a fine finish blade. Depending upon the material you may need to transfer the mark onto the front of the flooring and cut through on the face to avoid splintering.

Take the piece you had left over from the first cut and use that to start your next row. Snap each piece into place using care not to damage the tongue and groove of each piece. Sometimes a board may not seem to go in. Don’t give up. Pull it apart and look into the groove for small pieces of wood. These block the tongue from going into the grove all the way. Make sure you are at least ¼ inch to 1/8 inch from all walls. Spacing is important; you need enough for expansion and enough so your base board will cover it.

Work your way down each row and bring the scrap from the last piece you cut to start your next row. Use a compass around hard to get at measurements and scribe them onto a piece of flooring. Use a hand saw or coping saw to back cut any door jambs. Your flooring should go snuggly underneath of these. As you work your way up measure each side of the row to the opposite wall. Make these measurements the same to have a squared floor in your room. Recheck every three rows or so. When you’re done, reinstall your base boards on top. If there are gaps between the base board and the flooring, add a piece of shoe molding or quarter round to the bottom. Push the flexible trim down tight to the floor and nail into the base board.