Glueing Oak Flooring: Good Or Bad Idea?
20th Jan 2015 @ 16:26
Traditionally all oak flooring would have been fitted using the surface nailing method. As oak boards were not tongue and grooved, nails would have been inserted into the oaks top surface at even spacings into the floor joists below.
Nowadays, thanks to the introduction of tongue and groove boards, the secret nailing or secret screwing is the preferred method. This method involves driving the fixing through the tongue of each boards into the subfloor or joist. As the tongues are hidden by the groove of the next board, the fixings are also hidden.
Another method that is now being commonly used is the glueing method. When glueing oak flooring, there are a number of points to consider when deciding if it is a good idea for you.
The glueing method is often used when there is no alternative method of fitting available. Concrete sub-floors are the prime example of this, as concrete cannot be screwed or nailed into.
The main point to consider when glueing comes down to the old question of whether you are laying solid or engineered oak flooring. If you are laying engineered oak flooring, and you need to glue the boards down, this is not a problem.
If you are however planning on glueing solid oak flooring, it becomes more complicated. When gluing a solid oak floor, we only ever recommend opting for thinner boards. The wider a solid oak board is, the more prone it is to movement and cupping from moisture. It is for this reason that we do not recommend glueing oak boards which are wider than 120mm.
The type of adhesive used should also be considered. The glue should be made specifically for the job of glueing wooden floors - extremely strong, yet flexible enough to allow for some natural movement in the wood. Too rigid of glue could cause your oak floor to split or buckle. For this job we recommend a glue such as the Proflex MS Polymer Adhesive.
Glueing oak flooring can be seen as both a good and a bad idea dependant on your own situation. It is important to consider all of the above points before opting for this method. If you do have any further queries, please give us a call on 01538 304584.
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