The floating installation of parquet is often considered too expensive and demanding, and incompatible with underfloor heating systems; it is commonly believed that floating parquet produces footfall noise and does not ensure adequate silence. For this reason, in Italy, about 70% of installations are done with glued parquet.
At Woodco, we want to show you that the points listed above are nothing but prejudices and that floating installation can be in many ways more advantageous than glued installation.

Goodbye to footfall noise with floating installation

Let’s start with the (supposed) greater silence of glued wooden flooring. In reality, by choosing a suitable and quality underlay—a subfloor that reduces footfall noise and walking reverberation—floating (or floating) parquet is at least as quiet as glued parquet. In particular, multilayer parquet has a sound absorption capacity that is significantly superior to that of laminate with HDF backing, which remains very popular.

Floating parquet and underfloor heating

In Northern European countries, the installation of underfloor heating systems is a very popular solution and has become established over the decades. At the same time, the use of floating parquet is also well-established, especially with dry joints. Conversely, in Italy, many continue to think that floating installation promotes heat dispersion by creating a sort of air chamber between the screed and the boards. This is not the case: this is also a false myth. Once again, the secret is the underlay. Models designed for installation on thermo-heated screed allow for optimal heat transmission.

Protection from moisture for wooden flooring

Although wood is, as is well known, a natural insulator, at Woodco we know that boards thinner than 16 millimeters ensure effective heat circulation, which is not hindered even by the use of nylon as a vapor barrier.
Indeed, in this regard, we remind you that only floating installation allows you to protect the wooden floor from the risk of moisture infiltration from the screed, precisely because of the possibility of inserting the nylon vapor barrier. Remember, in fact, that the moisture content of the screed must not exceed 2% CM.

When floating rhymes with economical

We have seen that the inclusion of an underlay plays a decisive role in heat transmission and in reducing the noise of floating parquet. The objection you might raise is that it affects the overall installation cost, making glued installation, without underlay, preferable to floating installation. However, you should consider that the glue itself and the labor it requires are also cost factors, and if, even without being an expert installer, you choose a DIY installation, with floating installation, savings are guaranteed. The lack of adhesives, in addition to speeding up your installation work, ensures that there are no risks associated with their potential harmfulness, although currently very limited.

Expansion joint: yes or no?

The use of expansion joints is required by regulations to prevent the normal movements to which parquet is subject due to temperature or humidity variations, particularly when the floating parquet boards are, respectively, longer and wider than 12 and 8 meters. Certainly, joints can appear unsightly, but a properly executed installation, at distances of 8-10 millimeters from the perimeter walls, with an efficient dry joint, greatly reduces the need to use joints, whose costs are nonetheless a negligible expense.

In this article, we wanted to debunk some prejudices about floating parquet installation. Now the decision is up to you. Is floating or glued parquet installation better? Download the brochure

Our guide to floating installation