Snap-together "real" hardwoof flooring...

[Art Mulder]

Does anyone have any experience with snap-together 3/4" solid wood hardwood flooring? I'm referring to products such as Lock and Fold (http://www.bruce.com/resflram/na/bruce/en/us/lock-and-fold.html?intcid=armstrong_landf_bruce) from Bruce Hardwood, or EZ-Plank (http://www.ezplank.com/ezloc.html) in Canada.

I'm interested in a main-floor hardwood floor, so the fact that you can install these below grade doesn't really matter to me. What interests me is the fact that no nailing is required, it snaps together, and your floor is installed quite quickly. You could glue it together (the EZ-plank product allows this, not sure about the Lock-and-Fold one) if you are concerned about separation. One positive that they claim is that the whole floor moves as a unit.

(Honestly, I've wondered about nailed floors. The various installation guides talk about the floor moving, and the importance of leaving a gap at the walls. But I just don't get it. The entire floor is nailed down -- how can the whole floor move? But I digress.)

One negative that I've noticed is that the EZ-Plank FAQ tells me that the flooring needs to acclimatize to the house for 2-3 Weeks. Most other flooring that I've seen says 2-3 days (or a week at the most).

So, if anyone else has used this hardwood flooring, please share your experiences. How was the installation? Any unforseen progblems? And how satisfied have you been with it since then? Any issues with it moving or gaps opening up?

thanks
...art

[Gary Keedwell]

Funny thing is , I had my doubts when these "floating floors" first appeared on the market over 10 years ago, but I haven't heard of a failure yet. I dabble in real estate and ask about those floor often. I always get a positive response.
Gary K.

[Jim Becker]

I happen to like floating floors, although have no experience with the product you ask about; only an Armstrong laminate that was snap-together. That thin layer of 1/8" foam that goes under a floating floor adds a remarkable amount of comfort...just a "little" give is actually noticeable by one's feet.

[Rob Di Nardo]

I happen to like floating floors, although have no experience with the product you ask about; only an Armstrong laminate that was snap-together. That thin layer of 1/8" foam that goes under a floating floor adds a remarkable amount of comfort...just a "little" give is actually noticeable by one's feet.



Hi Art fellow Londoner! lots of rain today eh?

To quote the above; Me too! all my floors are laminate except the upstairs living room which was Bruce pre-finished hardwood flooring from HD but it was nailed down, and very hard on the wallet! I also like the foam under the laminate, it gives a nice cushion effect over the concrete floor.And not to mention it was easy to install.

[Greg Funk]

One negative that I've noticed is that the EZ-Plank FAQ tells me that the flooring needs to acclimatize to the house for 2-3 Weeks. Most other flooring that I've seen says 2-3 days (or a week at the most).

I can't comment on either of the locking systems but I am fairly certain that there is no way bundles of hardwood flooring will acclimate in 2-3 days. They might if they just happen to have been stored in the identical environment to your house but there is a good chance they've been stored in a warehouse in a different part of the country. It's always a good idea to let solid hardwood acclimate as long as possible before laying it down. I've seen traditional hardwood floors which were installed too quickly end up with significant gaps year round.

Greg

[Jim Becker]

Greg, with a floating floor, there may be less issue with seasonal gaps simply because the whole floor, itself, can expand and contract "across the grain" without impediment. There is nothing constraining it at the edges or anywhere in the middle. No constraint. No gaps.

[Art Mulder]

I can't comment on either of the locking systems but I am fairly certain that there is no way bundles of hardwood flooring will acclimate in 2-3 days.

Greg, I think I put my foot in mouth there. Someone else already told me the same thing. I must be misremembering something that I read somewhere.

Edited:
Nope, here it is from one company: Dubeau Flooring (http://www.dubeaufloors.com/Dubeaufloors/html/installationA.html) (sells via HD in Canada) "Open the packages for 48 hours to let the wood adapt to its new environment"
Bruce Hardwood just talks about conditioned space and moisture content, can't find any reference to # of days.

Oh well.

[Stephen Beckham]

Been looking for some to do ourselves - my brother did his kitchen a couple years back (7-8) and had major problems because of water causing the wood to bow (spills etc). Since then - he's put down the newer stuff and loves it. Apparently they've worked out the sealing of the wood in between the joints so spills don't cause the same issues.

My neighbor owns a hard-wood company here in Kentucky and recommended going with a snap fit versus him doing it. He said they've come a long way the last couple years - and it'll keep my bank account from going dry. He recommended something along the lines of Pergot Hardwood.

I don't have first hand knowledge of the quality - just passing on the recommendation of our neighbor.

[Greg Funk]

Greg, with a floating floor, there may be less issue with seasonal gaps simply because the whole floor, itself, can expand and contract "across the grain" without impediment. There is nothing constraining it at the edges or anywhere in the middle. No constraint. No gaps.
I suppose, except if you had a large floor you might get some movement near the edges. Until today the only snap together flooring I had seen was the engineering type, I didn't realize they made snap together solid hardwood flooring.

Greg

[Art Mulder]

Does anyone have any experience with snap-together 3/4" solid wood hardwood flooring? I'm referring to products such as Lock and Fold (http://www.bruce.com/resflram/na/bruce/en/us/lock-and-fold.html?intcid=armstrong_landf_bruce) from Bruce Hardwood, or EZ-Plank (http://www.ezplank.com/ezloc.html) in Canada.

Just in case anyone is still curious... I've since learned that EZ-Plank is not actually "real" hardwood flooring. It is an engineered product. Yes, it is solid wood, but it is strips of wood glued together with a thin veneer glued on the top. From looking at the website, it looks like the Bruce product is also an engineered product.

Not that there is anything wrong with engineered wood flooring! It's just that I was under the mistaken impression that it was regular solid 3/4" hardwood flooring, just with the locking tongue so you don't need to nail it.

[Ed Breen]

Art,
We've got the Bruce flooring over the blue cushioning material in the living room (30x30). Its been down since last summer and is doing well. Our dinning room is oak parquet directly on concrete and while it looks great it doesn't have the resiliency of the snap in place flooring. We are getting ready to do two other rooms using the Bruce product.
Ed:) :)