Install floating parquet with underlay or glued parquet?

 

You've found your favourite floor: parquet! But which installation do you choose? When do you choose to glue parquet and when do you install floating parquet with underlay? You will find the right choice for every room and living situation. 

What is the difference between floating or glued parquet?

With glued parquet, the wooden planks are glued to the substrate. This requires about 1 kg of parquet glue per m². Floating parquet, on the other hand, is provided with a subfloor, which is ideal if you want to eliminate minor unevenness– there is no glue needed here.

Which parquet installation is best for my home?

I would like underfloor heating under my parquet.
Go for glued parquet. A glued floor is then recommended because it lets the heat pass easily. With floating parquet, the heat has to pass through an extra layer: the subfloor.

I don't want transitions between different rooms.
Go for glued parquet. Gluing your parquet is a way to avoid visible transitions between rooms. For parquet with underlay, there are transition profiles available in the same wood, shade and finish as the planks. However, with floating parquet you can cover rooms of 8 to 10 m² without a transition profile.

I don't want to hear footsteps when I walk on the floor.
Go for glued parquet. In fact, gluing parquet is best for sound, because it turns the floor into one big mass that is difficult for sound to penetratepass through. But if you do want to install floating parquet, you can always choose an underlay with extra acoustic insulation. You can also install thermal insulation under floating parquet.

I want the most solid and stable parquet floor.
Both floors are suitable. If the floor is installed correctly, both solutions are sturdy and stable. Wood does react to changes in temperature and humidity, which is why it is necessary to provide an expansion joint against walls, around door frames, posts, etc. Basically, with gluing you have the advantage that wood cannot move anyway because it is really fixed. 

I want to install my parquet myself.
Go for floating parquet. A parquet with underlay is easier to install yourself, because if you make a mistake you can remove the plank in question and re-install it. When gluing parquet, you obviously have to lay each plank correctly - with no margin for error, so you need to have some experience with it. Anyway, for the best results it is always better to call in a professional installer.

I want the cheapest installation for my parquet.
Go for floating parquet. Most of the price of your new parquet depends on your choice of wood and surface area, regardless of the type of installation you choose. With glued parquet, the glue itself is a cost, and as a material is usually more expensive than a subfloor. That said, the price of the underlay does depend on the desired quality.

Gluing parquet takes about 20% more time than laying parquet on a subfloor. So, your fitter will take a little longer to install a glued parquet.

I want to take my parquet floor with me when I move.
Go for floating parquet. This is possible with a floating floor: you can lift the planks easily and install them in your new home. It is better not to recycle the subfloor, because you will have to cut everything out again for the new surface anyway.

Tips for installing parquet

The most important thing is to lay your parquet on an even and clean surface. It is also best to remove old, floating laminate or parquet floors, carpet or vinyl before installing new parquet. But on concrete, wood, ceramic tiles,... you can lay parquet. Floating or glued