Installation methods
To ensure that you get the best out of your floor, it is important that it is correctly fitted, finished and maintained.
Note: Parquet and Chevron flooring should be fitted with the fully bonded method.
What is the best installation method for your subfloor?
| Fully bonded | Semi-floating | Bonded acoustic | Secret nail | |
| Screed with UFH | ✔ | |||
| Screed without UFH | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Joists / Battens | ✔ | |||
| Plywood | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Existing timber floor | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Fully bonded method
Tovcol MS Wood Floor Adhesive can be used to affix flooring directly to screed, plywood or existing wooden floors, giving a secure bond to the subfloor and a solid feel underfoot whilst enabling natural seasonal movement.
Coverage: Approx 15m2 per tub. Recommended trowel for application included.
Key advantages
- Suitable for use with underfloor heating allowing maximum heat transfer
- Solid feel underfoot – no bounce
- High performance bond remains flexible, in order to enable seasonal expansion and contraction of the boards
- Early quick grab allows working on the newly installed floor, without boards slipping or the need for tape
- Excellent workability & very easy to extrude
- Compliant to stringent environmental standards
- 100% Solvent-free formula
- Moisture resistant
- Easy surface clean up
- Virtually odourless
Tover Nano-Fix Primer is a water-based acrylic primer formulated with resins composed of nanometric particles that guarantee optimal penetration even in poorly absorbent subfloors. Can be used as a dust-proof primer and surface consolidator on absorbent substrates based on cement, gypsum, anhydrite and similar. Enables bonding with any type of adhesive.
Coverage: Approx 5-10 m2 per litre. Supplied in 5L or 10L tubs.
Key advantages
- Suitable for use only on absorbent subfloors, in the case of low porosity subfloors, it is possible to dilute Nano-Fix up to 50% with water
- Virtually odourless and moisture resistant
- Easy to apply and suitable with any type of adhesive
- Solvent free
- Suitable for use on underfloor heating
Secret nail method
Nailing is the traditional form of laying a wooden floor, and is more cost-effective and potentially less messy than using a flexible adhesive. However, once the floor has been laid there is no flexibility in it, and this can mean that there can be occasional squeak in the boards (this is unlikely when using flexible adhesive).
Acoustalay 300 is a high quality, physically cross-linked polyolefin foam underlay which provides a barrier between the flooring and the subfloor. It can be used on top of a solid subfloor to level any small variations in height and also to reduce contact sound.
Key advantages
- Shock insulation
- Takes out unevenness in the subfloor
- Increases the serviceable life of your real wood floor
- Dust free
- Lightweight, therefore easy to lift and manoeuvre
- Quick and easy to cut and install
For laying solid boards up to 180mm in width we would recommend secret nailing at 400mm centres through the tongue of the board using a flooring nail gun and serrated flooring nails. T- shaped serrated flooring nails are compatible with Porta-Nailer Hardwood Floor Nailer. Please contact us to find out more about hiring a Portanailer Nail Gun.
When fixing into joists or battens fixed to the surface of the subfloor using screws or nails, the guidance on span centres for domestic and residential use is given in BS8201.
The span table (see below) is suitable for domestic or residential use. Spans for commercial environments will be smaller depending on the severity and type of trafficking regime the floor will be subjected to in service.
Maximum batten spans for sports halls and gymnasiums etc should be no greater than 300mm.
| Finished board thickness (mm) | Maximum span (centre to centre, mm) |
| 19 | 600 |
| 21 | 635 |
| 28 | 790 |
Semi floating method
Acoustalay 300 Adhesive is a high quality, cross-linked polyolefin foam underlay which represents a versatile solution designed for use on any smooth subfloor. The floor is adhered to the underlay, rather than the subfloor, and renders the use of screws, nails, glue or clips as unnecessary during the laying process. If laid on a concrete subfloor a separate vapour barrier should be used.
Key advantages
- No permanent bond or damage to subfloor
- Good compression recovery
- Suitable for use with subfloor embedded underfloor heating
- Thermal insulation
- Impact and airborne sound insulation
- No odour
- Mess free
Bonded acoustic method
Acoustalay 250 Slatted underlay is a high quality, fire retardant, cross-linked polyolefin foam underlay enables floor to be glued directly to the subfloor. The pre-cut slots ensure minimum adhesive is used, while Acoustalay provides for perfect spot levelling.
Key advantages
- Sound dampening effect against footfall, useful for apartments
- Permanently elastic
- Quick application
- Low adhesive consumption
- Good compression recovery
- Suitable for use with embedded underfloor heating systems
- Fire retardant foam
- Thermal insulation
We recommend that double sided tape is used to ensure the correct positioning of the underlay. If laid on a concrete subfloor a separate vapour barrier should be used.
A note on floating floors
A floating floor is a floor which is not fixed to the subfloor. In our experience, floating flooring leaves the floor susceptible to movement and creates a bouncy, hollow feel underfoot.
Flooring should not be floated over underfloor heating systems.
As an alternative, Acoustalay 300 Adhesive can be used to ‘semi-float’ the floor.
General advice
- Regardless of the fitting method selected an expansion gap of at least 10-15 mm should be left all around the perimeter of the floor to allow for seasonal variations in temperature and different levels of heating. If the room is greater than 10 metres in length, please contact us for more details on internal expansion gaps.
- We strongly recommend that flooring is one of the last installations to be fitted as attempting to protect the flooring whilst other works are completed can cause damage. In our experience, plaster dust can migrate through dust sheets onto the flooring causing permanent surface damage. We strongly advise against plastic coverings which can cause the floor to sweat (especially if underfloor heating is on) and leave staining on the surface. If you require further information please contact us.
- If you have purchased unfinished flooring, we recommend testing the oils on an inconspicuous area to ensure the desired effect is met or contact an experienced floor fitting and finishing professional to carry out the works. Please contact us for advice on finishing.
