NAIL DOWN: Typically used with ¾" solid products, however there are adapters available for thinner flooring sizes as well. 2" nailing cleats are used with a wood flooring nailer and mallet to attach the flooring to the sub floor. Solid strip floors or plank floors can only be installed on wooden sub floors on grade or above grade.

STAPLE DOWN: Staples are used instead of nailing cleats to secure the hardwood flooring to the wood sub floor. A pneumatic staple gun is used to drive the staples into the tongue of the wood planks and into the wood sub floor underneath. The staple down installation procedure is easier to do than the nail down for do-it-yourself installations, and is the most commonly used method before nailing.

GLUE DOWN: This is where you glue the wood planks directly into the sub floor. He recommended mastic or adhesive is spread onto the sub floor using a proper sized trowel and than the planks are set into the adhesive. Glue-down installation of engineered hardwood floors can be done over wood type sub floors and dry, fully cured concrete slabs.

FLOATING: With the floating installation method the floor is not mechanically fastened to any part of the sub floor. There is a thin pad that is placed between the wood flooring and the sub floor. Recommended wood glue is applied in the tongue and groove of each plank to hold the planks together, or many joint systems today are glue less and have a locking tongue and groove. The padding protects against moisture, reduces noise transmission, softer under foot and provides for some additional resale value. Some engineered floors and all long strip floors can be floated. This is a very fast, easy and clean method of installation.