When it comes to the business of flooring, it seems there are endless options: vinyl, tile, hardwood, laminate, carpet, and even painted concrete.

But have you heard about floating floors?

If that term sounds odd to you, don’t worry —  it will soon make perfect sense.

We’ll explain what floating floors are as well as their advantages and disadvantages, and answer some common FAQs. Keep reading to find out if this type of flooring is a good choice for you.

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what is a floating floor

What Is a Floating Floor?

A floating floor is any type of flooring not actually fastened to the subfloor with nails, adhesive, or mortar. It’s named as such because it “floats” over the surface on which it’s installed.

To maintain the structural integrity of a floating floor, the subfloor must be completely flat. If it’s not, thorough prep work must be done to get the subflooring into the right state before installation.

Floating floors require a gap around the perimeter to allow for expansion and contraction as temperatures and humidity levels change throughout the year. This gap is hidden using transition strips and baseboards.

Floating floors come in a variety of styles and colors to match your decor tastes and needs.

What Options Exist for Floating Floors?

The most popular types of floating floors right now may be referred to as click-lock style or click-together flooring products. These are typically vinyl tile or plank and have a tongue-and-groove design that allows the pieces to snap together over the subfloor.

There are also laminate styles of floating floors.

Some types of engineered hardwood are also billed as being acceptable to use for floating floors, but we don’t recommend this. Interior Motives Flooring always uses glue or nails to increase the stability of hardwood when we install it as we don’t feel it lends itself well to the floating style.

Whatever look you want in a design — be it wood, marble, or concrete — you should be able to find a floating flooring pattern to meet your needs.

Many floating floors have been made to mimic the looks of tile or hardwood, as these are the most popular options. But you can pretty much find any print you’re looking for these days.

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4 Pros of Floating Floors

Floating floors are an increasingly-popular option for those doing home renovations. Let’s look at some of the top reasons people love them so much.

#1: Installation Is Quick and Inexpensive

When you compare the overall installation cost of floating floors to their traditional tile or hardware counterparts, you can usually save a lot of money going this route.

That’s because:

  • They don’t take as much expertise to install.
  • Installation is quicker, which saves on labor costs.
  • They can often be installed over existing surfaces.
  • They may not require much (or any) subfloor prep.
  • They don’t require fasteners like adhesive or nails, which saves on materials costs.

#2: It May Be Possible To Install Them Over an Existing Floor

You may be able to install floating flooring over your current floor — whether it be tile, sheet vinyl, or hardwood — as long as it is well-fastened to the subflooring. 

This can save tons of prep and installation time because you don’t have to go through the process of removing the old flooring and prepping the subfloor.

#3: Removal Is Easy

If you need to repair and replace sections of a floating floor — or remove the entire thing to try a new style — it’s a fairly simple and quick process.

For instance, if one of your floating planks gets damaged, you can pop it and all the pieces leading to the closest wall out and replace them. Since there aren’t any adhesives to pry up or nails to extract, the flooring can easily be removed.

#4: They Can Be DIY Friendly

If you’re a fairly handy person, floating floors are a pretty good choice for DIY home renovations. Most do-it-yourselfers with some experience in flooring report that these are easier to install than traditional tile or hardwood.

But since they’re already so budget-friendly, why not save yourself the hassle of installation and let the pros do it for you? You don’t need to stress over possibly damaging the materials or installing something the wrong way when you could be relaxing on the patio with a drink while Interior Motives Flooring completes the job.

It should also be noted that if a lot of prep work is needed before installation to make the subfloor level, it can quickly become not so DIY friendly after all.

floating floor

4 Cons of Floating Floors

Floating floors are a great choice for many reasons, but there are some disadvantages, which can rule them out as options for some homeowners. Check out these cons and see how they affect your decision to install floating flooring in your home.

#1: They May Need To Be Replaced More Often Than Other Types of Flooring

Floating floors are called that because there’s a thin layer of air between the subfloor and the top. This means that the everyday wear and tear on your floor can have a higher impact than it would with other types of flooring, like tile or hardwood.

So if some areas of your home get more traffic because you have kids, pets, a rolling office chair, etc., these parts of the floor may wear more quickly and need to be replaced.

The good news about this though, as we said before, is that it’s relatively easy to pull up sections of floating flooring to put down new pieces.

If you’re concerned about how quickly your floating flooring wears down, be sure to discuss this with your flooring contractor so they can make recommendations about which types will hold up to traffic better.

#2: They Can Amplify Sounds

That layer of air between the flooring and the subfloor that we just discussed can actually amplify sounds such as footsteps. This isn’t an issue when the flooring is glued or nailed down, as it doesn’t have the extra space that can make sounds echo or seem louder.

So you may want to think twice before installing floating floors in areas where you want it extra quiet, such as a bedroom or in a place where you may have downstairs neighbors.

However, if you invest in a high-quality underlayment for your floating floors, it can help a lot with the mitigation of sound amplification issues and may even reduce wear and tear.

#3: They Can’t Be Refinished

Unlike hardwood, which can be sanded down and restained when it suffers damage, floating floors are typically made of laminate or vinyl, materials that cannot be refinished.

But as we have said, floating floors are usually so easy to replace that their inability to be refinished doesn’t present a roadblock.

#4: They Are Not Ideal for Humid Environments

Remember floating floors actually expand and contract in response to varying humidity and temperature levels. This is a cool feature that can be very helpful with certain types of flooring.

But if you live in an area that typically experiences extremely high humidity, this can be a negative. If lots of moisture from the air accumulates in the space between the floor and the subfloor, it can lead to:

But if you invest in the right kind of underlayment, you may not have these issues even if you live in an extremely humid climate.

a floating floor

Floating Floor FAQs

Can a Floating Floor Be Installed Under Appliances?

It sure can! Even though appliances such as ovens, refrigerators, and dishwashers can be pretty heavy, it’s fine to put floating floors under them. 

Just make sure you’re getting the kind that’s specifically designed for kitchens and the weight of appliances. Your flooring installer at Interior Motives Flooring can help with a recommendation.

How Does a Floating Floor Stay in Place?

Since floating floors aren’t secured by any types of adhesives like nails, staples, or glue, people may be curious about how they stay in place.

The interlocking components of the flooring allow them to attach to one another and actually float on top of the subfloor. Once all the pieces are locked together and connected to the baseboards via transition pieces, the floating floor becomes very strong and can easily stay in place.

What Is the Cost of a Floating Floor?

The cost of having a floating floor installed will vary based on:

  • The material and quality of the flooring
  • Any underlayment used; and
  • Labor costs

Professional installation of a floating floor is much less expensive than most other types of flooring because it’s easier and faster. The average national costs for flooring materials and labor usually range from about $3-10 per square foot.

If you’re interested in a floating floor that will fit your price range, contact Interior Motives Flooring to explore your options.

Interior Motives Flooring: The Experts You Can Trust for All Your Flooring Needs

Whether you’re looking for floating flooring options, hardwood floors, or new carpets, Interior Motives Flooring will take care of you. We have been serving residents of Auburn, WA, since 1989 and would love to improve your home’s appearance and bring functionality to your life.

Our premium selection of high-quality flooring and expert flooring installation services in Auburn and surrounding areas has been tried and tested for decades. Why settle for the average “big box” store experience when you can get the personal touch that comes with a small-town company?

Contact us today for a free consultation.

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