There are a few options available when installing wooden floors - some are better than others, and some just aren't that practical in this day and age. Below is a description as well as the pros and cons of installing a tongue and grooved floor using Elastilon from a professional installers perspective:
Elastilon - the floors are installed as a floating system - they are not stuck to the sub-floor. Elastilon is a high density foam that (in most cases) is sticky on one side - this side sticks to the underneath of the floor plank. The glue bond is extremely strong.
As with any wood floor installation, sub-floor preparation is critical - a level and dry sub-floor is a must, but when using Elastilon, the strength of the sub-floor is not as critical as it would be with a glue down floor for instance.
The bond between the Elastilon is immediate, and there is no waiting time - once your floor is installed it can be used immediately - whether this is to finish the floor - sanding, staining, sealing - or to walk in the floor.
The foam layer also helps to reduce noise - important in multi-story applications.
As the floor boards are not directly bonded to one another, each board can move independently - all wood flooring moves and boards will expand and contract in response to the surrounding conditions. This allows the floor to fill up small gaps between boards, or open up small gaps between boards before expanding into or out of the expansion gaps around the perimeter of the floor.
With a properly specced and installed moisture barrier under the floor, a floor installed on Elastilon will hold up well against any abnormal moisture levels.
Elastilon can be used when installing engineered wood floors, solid wood floor and Elastilon Sport is designed for wooden sports floors. It is designed to be used with plank or strip flooring - we have successfully used it in a herringbone oak floor, but this is not a normal use!
Even when installed on a properly prepared sub-floor, there will often be some movement felt when walking on the floor.
Any floor repairs are tricky, but they are easier when installed on Elastilon - in fact it is possible to remove entire floors without damaging much of the floor - at the end of a lease, for renovations etc.
A great many of the floors we have installed successfully over the last decade and more have been on Elastilon - have a look at our real wood web page to see some of our work.
You can click on the picture below to go to the Elastilon web page to find out more.
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