Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Floating wood floors

Would you reccomend these? My sister in law put some down in her living room and it actually moves around under foot. I think they may have done this wrong but I'm not sure....should they move under foot?

It moves around? I don't think it's supposed to do that...

There's certainly nothing wrong w/floating wood floors if installed correctly!

They didn't flaten the substrate, before laying the floor. It will soon separate ate the joints from the flexing. 1/8" in 6' is a tight spec to adhere to for the substrate.

it actually moves around?? :eek: do you mean it's moving around side to side? or up & down??? has she set her furniture back down on it yet?

It just has a lot of give when you walk across it...I think Perry may be right. My husband thinks it has something to do with the underlayment and how they applied it...I prefer things under my foot to not move. :) I think we may give it a shot. Thanks everyone.

hi, this is her hubby, their floor as well as other floating jobs i have seen tend to breath, how can it not with padding under it? the floating floor itself also has padding on it.....QUESTION....can this type of flooring be glued to the floor? when i step on HARDWOOD floors i really don't like them breathing under my feet....ALSO i heard that the real hardwood floors tend to get scratched is this so? we do have a dog....just can't make up my mind what way to go.....ty for any help....

I'm no pro, but I've put in laminate in a few rooms and it most certainly does not 'float' under foot. After the first few rows are in, the weight of the boards make is practically impossible to move. When the entire floor is in I don't see how you are feeling what you are feeling unless it was installed incorrectly.

To give you an idea about scratching, by brother just installed bamboo flooring in his house. Although a soft wood, it scratches from dog nails, kids toys, etc. It takes a lot to scratch laminate, also, nothing will stick to it, so spills are easily cleaned up. I've even scraped epoxy (don't ask) off of my laminate with no problem.

as Carpets Done Wright explained, any vertical movement is due to improperly prepped subfloor. high and low spots will produce this type of movement. floating floors properly installed will not flex up & down. they do, however, expand & contract side to side, which is why you need to leave a small expansion gap around the perimeter, which is hidden by your baseboard or quarter round.

the underlayment "padding" for laminate floating floors is so incredibly thin, you shouldn't feel any flexing because of it. it's main function is that of a moisture-type barrier and sound deadener, not for actual cushioning like with carpet pad. only one layer of underlayment is needed. if the flooring is the type with the underlayment already attached to it, an additional layer isn't needed, unless it's a vapor barrier over concrete. you need to follow the manufacturer's specifications & installation instructions. too much pad will cause the floor to flex too much & that's when the tongues will crack & you'll get separation & chipping at the joints. gluing a floating laminate floor will prevent it from being able to expand & contract with humidity, which will cause the floor to fail and will void the warranty.

real wood and laminate floors can both scratch. but real wood can be refinished, laminate cannot. i've had laminate with a dog and 2 kids and didn't notice any scratching, and was very pleased with it. i'm sure some low quality laminates would scratch, though.

I've seen people lay laminate on top of carpet. There's so much bounce in it you'd think you were in a funhouse! :coffee:

ty so much for everyones help...