How to Install an Engineered Hardwood Floor

When installing additional rows, work from left to right. Apply wood glue to the tongue-and-groove seams. Then connect the pieces, carefully folding and tapping the new piece to rest on the subfloor. Immediately wipe up any glue that squeezes through the boards.

Note that some engineered hardwood flooring products have a click-lock design. These don't require glue for a floating installation, unlike tongue-and-groove products.

Measure from board (not tongue) to wall and subtract the expansion gap to know the correct cut for the last row of boards. Then, insert the last row of flooring, taking care to leave the proper extension gap between the last piece and the wall.

Remove the painter’s tape after 8-10 hours, but avoid heavy foot traffic and furniture placement for 24 hours. 

Once your new floor is complete, install transition pieces and remove the spacers. Then nail the baseboards and shoe moulding to the wall, not the floor.

Pour a small amount of glue on the concrete – about the width of two or three boards – and use the trowel to scrape the glue and drips clean away from the bucket. 

Using the straightest boards, lay the first row along the guideline you created when prepping the subfloor with the tongue side of the board facing toward the room.

Fit the second row’s groove on the first row’s tongue and tap the board into place using a rubber mallet and block. 

Stagger the boards at least 6 inches from each end to add strength to the floor. You may have to cut the first board using a circular or miter saw with a blade designed for engineered wood flooring.

When you run into columns or doorways, cut the planks to fit on both sides, taking care to maintain the expansion gap. 

Measure the distance between the wall and the board — not the tongue — and subtract the expansion gap. Cut (or rip) the last row. If the boards are less than 1 inch wide, apply glue to the tongue of the installed boards and slide the last row into place using a pry bar and a piece of scrap wood to protect your wall.

Once your new floor is complete, install transition pieces and remove the spacers. Then nail the baseboards and shoe moulding to the wall.

For the second and third rows, drive staples every 3 to 4 inches at a 45-degree angle just above the tongue using a pneumatic staple gun. Staples must not interfere with the tongue-and-groove fit of additional boards. Continue installing the flooring.

Your last one or two rows will be face-nailed, as your pneumatic stapler will be difficult to operate in a small space. Pre-drill the holes and use a nail punch to countersink the nails. Fill the holes with matching wood filler to camouflage the marks. 

Once your new floor is complete, install transition pieces and remove the spacers. Then nail the baseboards and shoe moulding to the wall.

For the second and third rows, drive the nails at an angle just above the tongue using a pneumatic nail gun. Countersink the nails to avoid interrupting the tongue-and-groove engagement in the following rows. Continue installing the flooring.

Because it's difficult to use the nailer in small spaces, face-nail the last one or two rows.

Once your new floor is complete, install transition pieces and remove the spacers. Then nail the baseboards and shoe moulding to the wall, not the floor.