Laying engineered wood floors

[Cogcog]

I am getting conflicting advice on how to lay a 18mm enginnered floor on a levellled concrete floor with under floor heating.

The manufacturer is saying lay it on a low tog underlay, glueing the tonges and grooves into a floating floor. All the fitters say lay it on a flexible, water free adhesive at 1kg per sq meter. The adhesive will add about £5 a sq meter to the cost.

Anybody done this?

I have been given quotes from £2700 to £3800 to lay the 300 sq meters.

[homeimprovements]

Lay it as per the manufacturers instructions , because if you have a problem with the floor in the future the manufacturer will just shrug there shoulders if it is fitted differently from what they say.
Ask the fitters if they will guarantee there won't be problems if they do it there way. I am guessing the answer will be no !

[hairyben]

Is that what the manufacturer has told you or is it their generic DIY instructions?

Many engineered floors can be laid using any method you prefer- glue down, nail down, floating etc.

[Jonnas]

I did just over 100 square metres of oak floor by bonding it to the concrete with flexible adhesive and PVA in the T&G's.

Worked a treat.

[Blakeatron]

I would fully bond the floor rather than just the joints.

If you are getting this done simply go and see some of their other jobs, you will easily see if they know what they are doing.

[Cogcog]

Manufacturers have a video on Youtube (US) showing the timber being laid just glueing the joints. I suspect the fitters are going belt and braces by wanting to glue the lot. The self adhesive underlay worked Ok last time, so that is tempting, and quicker but it wasn't underflor heating last time. there are specuilaiats low tg adhesive underlays for UFH at about £5 a meter.

[mart77]

having fitted a lot of these floors i would ask the supplier for the sticky foam underlay.it can be really fiddly to do but the results are a floor that can expand and contract as natural wood does to different temperatures.
in addition to using this underlay i would use pva glue in all the joints to give it a real good solid feel.
can i ask where you are getting the flooring from?

[Cogcog]

mart77 said:

having fitted a lot of these floors i would ask the supplier for the sticky foam underlay.it can be really fiddly to do but the results are a floor that can expand and contract as natural wood does to different temperatures.
in addition to using this underlay i would use pva glue in all the joints to give it a real good solid feel.
can i ask where you are getting the flooring from?

I am (I think) using a local supplier of a 18mm smoked and oiled engineered oak at £31 PSM inc VAT. It is 189mm random lengths. I need 330 square meters but there didn't seem to be any significant discount coming from the suppliers for buying this amount. I did find an offer from woodandbeyond at about that price and in a 21mm board too but the sample was too light in colour and too smooth a finish as I wanted more of a distressed/rustic look.

[mart77]

330 sq metres.wow!!!!!what you doing a school?

[Cogcog]

mart77 said:

330 sq metres.wow!!!!!what you doing a school?

It is quite a big place and we are doing both floors throughout except for bathrooms, kitchen and utility which are tiled already.