No More Glue-Down-Floors!

Laying our glue-down engineered hardwood floors is probably the hardest (and most nerve-racking) project Andy and I have taken on to date.

Because our floors came with size variations, we found laying the boards out in size order to be very beneficial for planning.

At Mariana, we tackled a handful of smaller projects, and we’ve continued that trend here. But laying the floor felt like a major leap for both of us.

As a designer, picking out the floors came pretty easily. Andy and I knew we wanted wood flooring. We have used wood replica's before - inlcuding vinyl flooring and porcelain tile - but both of which still missed that authentic, warm feeling of a hardwood. With consideration of South Florida's climate (specifically the humidity) we knew engineered hardwood was our best option. We didn't want to go too light, and the variation in the European White Oak Engineered Hardwood Floor from Floor & Decor was absolutely perfect.

I already knew exactly which direction I wanted the wood to run… what I didn’t initially consider was the starting point. And from what we gathered from industry friends, endless research, and now [speaking from fresh personal trauma] it matters... A lot. Planning might actually be the most complicated part of the whole thing. You have to think about where joints will land, how room widths affect plank layout, avoiding tiny slivers along one wall, and making sure wall inconsistencies don’t throw everything out of alignment.

Here’s the checklist we wish we had on day one:

Floor-Laying Prep Checklist

• Decide the direction of the flooring based on the spaces size, flow, or structural lines.

• Pick an intentional starting wall (and double-check it).

• Measure room widths to avoid thin slivers of plank at the far wall.

• Snap chalk lines to keep your run straight and sane.

• Check walls for inconsistencies. Don’t trust them, they lie!

• Dry-lay a few rows to visualize joint placement.

• Map out transition points between rooms.

• Confirm that your tools are actually capable of cutting straight (shocking how often they aren’t).

• Prep glue, trowels, spacers, and cleaning supplies before beginning... because once you start, the chaos begins immediately.

  
  

Our first saw purchase! lol. This table saw really helped us with clean, straight cuts. Not to mention cut prep time drastically.

With some borrowed tools from my cousin (thanks Christopher!), we got to work, and honestly the first room went pretty smoothly. The early part of the day was basically us uploading photos of random saws into ChatGPT and yelling, “Hey Siri, play a YouTube tutorial on a skill saw!” Pure confidence vibes.

Once we realized we were fully committed… and possibly in too deep… we upgraded the borrowed tools for our very own table saw. In a world of endless options, we chose the CRAFTSMAN 10.0-in 15.0 -Amp 120.0 -Volt Portable Jobsite Table Saw with Folding Stand from Lowes. Our main criteria was something that could cut through our 7-1/4" wide planks, in a straight line without much effort, and could be used while standing (AKA came with a stand). This saw was well rated and marked for beginner users. Needless to day, we love it! The table saw gives way more control for clean linear cuts and even tricky angles. I could genuinely cut flooring all day… There’s something weirdly satisfying about it. But after slicing through a few rows, we decided to dip our toes into the gluing process…

Each glue down floor has a recommended adhesive type to be paired with it. It's important to stick with the manufacturers recommended glue type. Further to this, different glue products work better with specific nothced trowels which come in a variation of teeth shape and sizes. The notched trowel type will be indicated by glue manufacturer. For our floor we purchased the Bostik Multigrip Urethane glue with the recommended Goldblatt Wood Handle V Notched Trowel.

We learned quickly that tool and glue management were going to pose the largest obstacle when laying out floors. PRO TIP: Clean and maintain as you go.

Be careful

& mind the glue!

The glue loves to drip, fling and stick... So go slow, be tedious and if anything gets a little messy CLEAN IT UP RIGHT AWAY. We thought we'd save time by doing one thorough cleaning sweep, but boy, were we wrong! The glue had dried by the time we got back to it and despite many, MANY attempts at cleaning we are still hoping to find the secret. Any recommendations are very much appreciated!

Disclaimer: Although it comes with its benefits, I am not sure that Andy and I will be purchasing another glue down floor... What a nightmare. The glue got everywhere: on the tools, on our skin, and at some point in my car. It might still be in my hair... Day two’s wardrobe looked very different from day one’s shorts and T-shirt.

Getting the planks tightly joined wasn’t easy either. The glue’s thick consistency sometimes acted like a wedge, so when we malleted one end into place, the opposite end would unhook itself. It was a toxic little dance.

The glue hasn’t stopped tormenting us, but otherwise… we’re getting the hang of it! The task comes with its challenges, but you can do it!