All four sides of the floorboards have tongues and grooves.

The process of joining tongue and groove materials has been around for many years.

One tongue fits firmly into the groove of the adjoining board.

Hardwood Floor Installation

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The purpose is to control vertical movement between adjoining boards.

Basic tongue and groove joinery is a straight tongue that horizontally slides into a straight groove.

These fasteners attachdirectly to the subfloor.

Tongue and groove could be better for more permanent installations.

Floating floors attach only to themselves, from one board to the next, not the sub-floor.

Lock and fold gives you the option of removing the boards for replacement or repairs.

It also moves much less than tongue and groove products.

Here are a few tips:

Yes.Underlaymentreduces the development of boards squeaking and moving.

This is especially important in rooms, such asbedrooms, where a quiet floor is important.

Construction glue, nails, or staples are used to secure the boards to the subfloor.

(Floating floors need a subfloor for installation.)

In general, tongue and groove flooring is cheaper to buy than lock and fold flooring.

However, the professional labor costs are higher for tongue and groove flooring than for floating floors.