Cost to install floating wood floor

Ever heard of a floating wood floor before? If you’re looking for a wooden floor that doesn’t cost the earth, it could be the perfect solution for you. Here, we’ll look at the typical cost to install a floating wood floor, as well as why you might want to.

What is a floating wood floor?

Contrary to what you might think, a floating floor isn’t a type of floor in itself. Instead, it’s a way of fitting a floor where individual planks interlock to create a surface a bit like a mat. This then sits straight on top of the underlay, which means there’s no need for any glue or nails.

There are a few different types of flooring that can be installed in this way. The most popular floating floors are laminate, vinyl or engineered wood.

Interestingly enough, hardwood floors aren’t recommended as floating floors as they’re more susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity (if you want hardwood floors, you’re best off reading our wooden flooring cost guide). Instead, when we refer to a floating wood floor, we’re referring to engineered wood flooring where a groove system often allows the individual planks to be locked together.

The main benefit of a floating wood floor is that installation is quick and easy, which means it typically costs less than installing other kinds of flooring that need to be nailed or glued down.

How much does it cost to install a floating wood floor?

When you’re calculating the cost to install a floating wood floor, you’ll need to factor in both the cost of the flooring itself and the cost for installation.

It normally costs between £20 – £50 per m2 to buy engineered wood flooring. Then, you can generally expect to spend between £15 – £25 per m2 for installation.

However, your total wood floor installation cost will depend on a number of factors, including:

• Location.
• Accessibility.
• Condition of the floor beneath.
• Size of your room and quantity of work.
• Quality of the engineered wood flooring you choose.

Additional floating wood floor installation costs

There are a couple of additional costs that you might need to budget for when you come to install your floating wood floor.

Firstly, the floor beneath it will need to be level. Otherwise, your floating wood floor won’t sit properly on top of it. The cost of levelling your floor with liquid screed is usually around £17.50 per m2.

You’ll also need to account for the cost of underlay, which will sit beneath your floating floor. This tends to cost roughly £6 per m2.

Floating wood floor installation cost summary

• A floating floor is when the planks (or, occasionally, tiles) sit directly on top of the floor beneath without any glue or nails to fix them in place.
• Floating wood flooring is usually made of engineered wood, as hardwood flooring isn’t usually structurally sound enough to be installed in this way.
• Your floating wood floor installation cost will depend on the condition of the floor beneath, for example, whether it needs levelling.