Floating Engineered Floors - are they durable? How do they feel?
So i just got done hauling 1100sq feet of quick click schon flooring from LL into my basement. Was somewhat shocked, when i opened the box, to see how flimsy looking the flooring is when not mounted on a display block. It will be going over cement slab overquiet walk underlayment (vapor barrier is attached/included w/ this stuff Has anyone installed 7/16 inch thick quick click eng wood floor over quiet walk underlayment, and does it feel sturdy once installed? or does it feel cheap and hollow and flimsy? Im starting to feel like I took the easy way out (not wanting to glue or nail more sturdy flooring over a plywood sub), and having a bit of buyer's remorse. Any help/replies are greatly appreciated in advance. **Should I have gone w/ a thicker engineered flooring? **LL is great about exchanges, so i can return this stuff and make another choice - assuming my back holds up from moving 37 50 lb boxes...again. Hi Tom and welcome to the DIY Forums! This is just my personal opinion, but maybe you'll get a number of responses to help you decide. I like new technology, I love new tools, I think new cars are great...but I think laminate looks like a cheap trick. Give me wood! Wood, I say! Connie is engineered considered laminate? this stuff does not look like laminate - looks like hardwood, but again, it is engineered, and not as thick and sturdy looking as a traditional hardwood. keep in mind, the install is over a basement cement slab. i was warned off of hardwood for that reason. im really looking for anyone who has actually walked on a floated engineered wood floor before. im a total rookie at this wood floor thing, so not sure what to expect! Oh, sorry...I thought I read laminate...maybe someone else's post (Too many questions in a row results in something called wrong number syndrome ) You have to use engineered if you're below grade, but it does come in 3/4. Check back again, and perhaps someone else who has used this floor will weigh in with an opinion. Connie Our floating engineered floor over a concrete slab install was completed recently. The flooring is Owens Plank Santos Mahagony, glued together, not click. First of all, it looks amazing. It definitely was not flimsy looking out of the box. Quite the contrary, it was very sturdy compared to some brands. I believe the thickness is about 9/16 or thereabouts. Does it seem/feel different? Yes, a bit. The sound when walking on it is different. It's not a hollow sound, just a bit different and it's a bit softer feeling which should decrease, but not disappear over time. You should note though, that after walking on scores of floors during the research phase, I've noticed many different flavors of feel, especially if your focusing on that aspect. Solid hardwood on a plywood subfloor over joists gives your traditional sound and feel. Solid directly over joists (common years ago) sounds different and sometimes hollow if over a basement. Solid glued onto concrete sounds different still. Engineered glued onto concrete...another very slightly different sound and feel if you really pay attention. Etc., etc. We did start out looking for click install products and went another direction for 2 reasons. First, the click together products did have an even different sound, closer to hollow sounding. It makes sense if you think about it compared to other install options, no glue, no nails to reduce acoustics. Second, by the time we found what we saw as a high quality click product, the price point was higher than solids and other quality engineereds. The main concern I would have based on your message is that you found it flimsy out of the box. I know what you're talking about. We found some 3/8 products to be sturdier than some 5/8. So in summary, I'd say expect any floating to feel different, but some of the visitors we've had actually like it better than their solids. Of course, the other option of installing a plywood subfloor there has its quality and price impacts. If it were me, I would actually consider breaking open one box and clicking together over something like roofing felt to get some indication of what it may be like in the end. Even if I couldn't return I'd probably do it rather than have even more significant buyer's remorse. Just an idea. I hope some of this helps. Good luck. Love mine. Did our bedroom recently (concrete slab) and I have no complaints with feel or sound. I think OneBowl makes an excellent suggestion to break open a box and trial lay a section; that should either confirm your fears or put them to rest. BTW, ours is laminate, but with beveled edges and a surface texture it has a very good look and, out of the box it did seem a little flimsy as you say: that floor looks nice. so, tom, what did you end up doing ? i am going with the engineered, myself.
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