What is floating floor and how to select one?
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Floating floor is a generic word to describe a floor that doesn’t need to be nailed or glued to the subfloor. There are different types of floating floor such as a sprung floor which is a special type of floating floor designed for special purposes such as dancing. In our context, we are most likely referring to floating floor as laminated flooring that is for domestic use. Having said that, there are also timber and bamboo floating floors available on the market.
A domestic floating floor is normally constructed on top of an existing floor or over a subfloor. Floating floor can be fitted over timber floorboards, concrete, tiles, plywood, particle board and cork, howeverit is not recommended to be used in areas like bathrooms due to moisture. Floating floor is usually installed on underlay, which provides good noise insulation. This makes floating floor an ideal solution for use in multi-storey apartment buildings and homes with the modern look.
As mentioned before, floating floors don’t even have to be real timber, a lot of floating floors are laminated with a timber look finish, on the other hand, ‘real’ timber floating floors consist of a thin layer of softwood or hardwood bonded to a high-density fibreboard substrate. This thin layer of real timber allows you to sand back and refurbish further down the track. Laminated finished boards have a much harder finish compared to ‘real’ timber floor, these days, some laminated floating floor are so tough you can wear high heel on it without making it dent (check with the manufacturer before trying high heels!!)
Bamboo floating floor is one of the latest trend when people select floating floor, bamboo is more environmental friendly than timber because they have a much faster regrow rate. It also has a very hard wearing and durable surface so it is not easier to get dent.
Floating floor is the preferred choice for dust allergy sufferer because there will be no dust mites to concern. However, this also brings another issue with dust, compared to traditional carpet floor, dust tends to be absorbed by the carpet (until you vacuum), whereas floating floor, dust stays on top and forms dust balls. This means you may need to vacuum more often.
Most floating floor are made out of compressed cardboard as the base and a layer of printed laminat on top. Cardboard and water does not mix too well, so as soon as you have a spill, make sure you mop it immediately, otherwise, it may cause swelling.
Since the floating floor material is much harder than carpet, it can mean it will put more pressure on your ankle joints when you walk. This really depends on whether you’re used to a hard floor, if not, you may take a while to adjust.
So, how do you select a floating floor? Here is a list of things to consider.
Price
Bamboo and timber floating floor are the most expensive $65-$120/m2 (2010 price). Laminated floating floor prices vary but it’s definitely a cheaper option than bamboo and timber floating floor.
Thickness
Timber floating floor boards normally come in 18-22mm thickness, Bamboo from 6-20mm thickness and some of the cheapest laminated floating floor I’ve seen is as thin as 3mm to 13mm. My advice is get the thickness that fits in to your budget. The thicker the board feels more like a genuine timber floor. When you use a 6mm board, you’lll feel like you’re walking on a foot path.
Floor surface
Some of the bamboo and laminated floating floor boards try to give you the timber grain feel by having a corrugated surface. I personally am not a fan because after a period of time, all the dirt will sit in the corrugated grooves making cleaning much harder.
Width and length
The wider the board and the longer in length will give a more authentic look of a real floor. Also, if you are planning to install it yourself, this also means less work and a quicker finish.
Under board protection
The top of the floating floor board may have timber printed on it, remember to look for the bottom as well, the good ones come with a layer of plastic, this is handy because it will help the floor to float and expand during summer. This also gives you some protection from subfloor moisture.
Underlay
You need an underlay for your floating floor, this is your primary defence against subfloor moisture. It doesn’t matter whether your subfloor is concrete, stone, tile or timber. Whatever it is, you will have moisture to some degree and a good underlay will help to minimise this. If you’re living a in strata unit you need to consult your owners corporation, as they may require you to install a specific type of underlay to ensure sound proofness between units.
I hope this article will help you to select the right floating floor for your upcoming project!
