This site is wonderful! Thank you for it. I am glad I found it before we finalized our decisions. We have decided on a engineered wood floor - 9/16" thick veneer, 5-6"wide, 6-7' planks. Trying to decide between two brands you don't carry - Sunfloors and Juncker's Nature's Beauty White Oak. Opinions?

But the real question draws from my youth in Pennsylvania where I loved the wood floors and they were nailed down. Actually they were pine in 200+ year old home. Will these new floated floors sound right?

Most vendors are recommending floating altho I first requested nail down - just what I knew. I am most concerned about not hearing a hollow, fake sound but a real "wood sound". Is it true that as long as the subfloor is level that the floating floor will sound "right" when walked on? Home is 28 yrs old, carpet is down now and we suspect wood subfloor (above grade) may have a few problems. There is at least one bump - hoping for that spot of spackle from construction days...

Also, is glue down as easy to repair as floating? We are putting floor in living room and kitchen. They say it is easy to cut out and repair floating floor. Altho we don't tend to be hard on things.

Last - what is BEST type of undercushion?

Thank you for your expertise!
Judy

Take this with a grain of salt, but in my brief experience "Sound Solutions" underlayment is the best to use to help alleviate that hollow feeling underfoot. It is very thick and heavy.

You cannot get the substrate too flat either, that's more important than the underlayment when floating.

Thanks! I totally get it about the subfloor - and thanks for the underlayment recommendation. After talking to yet another installer, he recommends float. Says it will be quieter and slighter easier on feet. Altho we now learn that T&G must be glued down too while snap together can just be floated. We have been looking at T & G - should we be looking at Snap together? Opinions?

Judy

If you are speaking about the two brands you mentioned, I have no experience with either one. But, there are plenty of 5" engineered wood products which are a t&g and glue "together" so they can be floated.

In other words just the fact that one is a T&G does not necessarily mean it cannot be floated. You have to check the manufacturers instructions to find that out.

thank you - we are still looking and considering the various brands. Any other input will be appreciated.