I noticed a discussion over at Finehomebuilding.com that's been going on for a few weeks now. The poster had been having problems with a glue together floating floor; namely with the floor making all sorts of noises after it was installed. Temporary creaking with glued floating floors is common as the floor needs to find it's "equilibrium point" after the installation
But the questions among many became is clamping a floating floor necessary? Let's go back to the original types manufactured by Kahrs, and Harris-Tarkett. These floors were always milled with such precision that once the glue is applied and the boards tapped into place there wasn't any seperation unless you had a heard of elephants running across it. Once engaged it was tight as a drum, because they were designed this way.
Today many manufacturers give the green light to floating floors that they never advised of before. The products did not change in their construction whatsoever. It became more of a matter of "let's keep up with the do it yourself trend before we're left in the dust." Floating hardwood floors had become the mainstay of an easier hardwood installation.
In any event (I don't have all the exact product line names) suddenly a few dozen brand lines manufactured by Armstrong( Bruce, Hartco, Robbins) were considered okay for a floating type installation. Many in the installation industry were left scratching their heads.
To The Story...Are Clamps Needed?
For thinner engineered floors or those that fit loosely before glue is applied clamping would be beneficial for two reasons.
- Keeps the floor tight before the glue dries.
- Keeps bowed pieces tight and eliminates or cuts down on gapping before glue dries.
Other reasons clamping may be necessary include the makeup of the material being used. Back in the beginning with Kahrs and Tarkett, their products were long and wide or on the order of eight feet long and 7 or 8 inches wide. Coined longstrip. Nowadays it ain't like that at all. Many of the Armstrong lines would need 5,6, or seven pieces to makeup the orginal longstrip hardwood.
In essence if you were working side by side with one installing the Longstrip and the other a common Armstrong hardwood, you'd be installing more boards. Chances of boards gapping are greater.
