Choosing between floating and glued engineered hardwood comes down to your budget and subfloor type. A glued floor feels solid, quiet, and permanent. A floating floor is cheaper, easier to install, and ideal for uneven subfloors or condominiums.
Choosing between floating and gluing down your engineered floor depends on your installation skill, budget, and subfloor type. Floating floors (which click together) are cheaper, faster, and easier to DIY. Glue-down floors (which use adhesive directly on the subfloor) feel more permanent, solid, and quiet.
If you have a concrete subfloor (slab foundation or basement floor), glue-down is usually the better (or only) option. Concrete doesn't hold nails, so unless you build a plywood subfloor on top of it, nailing is off the table. Glue is designed to adhere wood to concrete in this case.
The best way to install engineered hardwood depends on your subfloor and the manufacturer's warranty, but the three primary methods are floating (click-lock), glue-down, or staple/nail-down. Always check your specific product guidelines first to ensure you don't void the warranty.
Yes, you absolutely can glue engineered wood flooring, and for many applications, it is the preferred installation method. Whether or not you must use glue depends on the specific flooring product and the installation method chosen.
Most engineered flooring styles can be installed as a floating floor, allowing you to do it yourself or speed up a pro install. There's no glue to cure, no nails to drive, and no subfloor to rip up and replace.
Wooden flooring – a fresh take on natural beauty
The year 2026 marks a time when wood regains its true power. Naturalness becomes the central theme in interior design, and wood tones – particularly warm, honey-coloured shades – will reign supreme in modern spaces.
Whether or not you should glue tongue and groove (T&G) boards depends entirely on your project. The general rule is to never glue them when installing solid wood, walls, or ceilings, but you must glue them for floating engineered floors.
Common Flooring Installation Mistakes Homeowners Make
Made from layers of real wood compressed together, engineered hardwood floors are better able to handle changes in moisture and humidity than solid hardwood. If you've decided to install engineered hardwoods, there are four possible installation methods depending on the subfloor: glue, nail, staple and float.
Floating Installation (for comparison)
Stability: Can be less stable, prone to movement and shifting. Sound: Can produce a hollow sound; dependent on the quality of the underlay. Moisture Sensitivity: More vulnerable to moisture and humidity changes.
Installing 1,000 sq. ft. of hardwood flooring typically costs between $6,000 and $18,000 fully installed, with most projects averaging $10,000 to $16,000. This breaks down to $6 to $18+ per square foot, depending on your choice of materials, site prep, and labor rates.
Flooring trends prioritize grounding warmth and natural beauty. Dominant styles include wide-plank light oak, intricate patterns like herringbone and chevron, low-sheen matte textures, and the practical durability of Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP).
Joanna Gaines is known for her signature "modern farmhouse" aesthetic, relying on light wide-plank wood, vintage checkerboard tile, patterned cement, and earthy volcanic ash. She frequently uses durable, high-quality flooring materials that blend old-world character with family-friendly functionality.
Yes. If moisture gets trapped under the floor from a damp slab, spills, or the wrong underlayment, mold can grow out of sight and cause odors and health complaints. The fix is simple in concept. Control moisture before and after install and verify with appropriate testing.
How do you clean engineered hardwood floors? The short answer is sweep or vacuum daily, damp-mop (never wet) with a pH-neutral cleaner, and avoid steam or harsh chemicals. That's 80% of the job done.
The "Rule of 3" in flooring is a design principle that recommends using no more than three distinct flooring materials or color variations throughout your entire home. Limiting your design to three elements creates visual cohesion, prevents a chopped-up layout, and ensures smooth, intentional transitions from room to room.
Houses generally sell better with hardwood floors. They offer a much stronger return on investment (often 70%–80%), can increase a home's overall value by 2% to 5%, and are actively filtered for by buyers.
Timeless wood colors are natural, organic hues that bridge the gap between warm and cool without relying on passing fads. The most classic choices are pale, natural wood and mid-tone browns. These choices highlight natural grain patterns and adapt easily to changing furniture and decor styles.
A T&G (tongue and groove) engineered floor can be installed by nailing it to a timber sub-floor using a flooring nailer, sticking it to a concrete floor using wood to concrete glue, or installed on an underlay and the edges glued using a quality wood PVA wood glue. The most common method is gluing.
Whether Gorilla Wood Glue is better than Titebond depends on the specific project. Generally, Titebond is considered the superior choice for traditional fine woodworking, while Gorilla shines for outdoor exposure and multi-material projects.
Use a flooring nailer to secure boards through the tongue at a 45-degree angle. Nailing at this angle ensures that the nails are hidden and the boards are tightly connected. Tap boards into place with a rubber mallet before nailing. This ensures a snug fit between the boards.
Gray-toned hardwood and laminate. Wide plank farmhouse-style wood. Painted floorboards. Artificial or fake-looking wood.
The 2026 wood color trends center on rich, natural warmth and deliberate contrast. As stark, ashy, and gray tones fade out, design focuses on honey-colored oak, espresso, and deep walnut to create layered, highly textured spaces rather than perfectly matched finishes.
In the end, the best choice depends on the unique proportions of your home, the amount of natural light, and the atmosphere you want to create. Whether you choose dark floors to ground your space or lighter floors to lift it, color balance between walls and floors can completely transform how your home feels.