How to lay engineered wood flooring

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Known for its timeless appeal and versatility, oak engineered wood flooring offers all the advantages of genuine hardwood flooring at a fraction of the cost. However, when it comes to laying engineered wood flooring, it’s one of the trickier flooring types to install and requires a lot of skill and experience.

After investing in new engineered wood flooring, we’d always recommend booking professional fitters to ensure your floors are fitted perfectly. That said, if you already have extensive DIY flooring experience and want to upskill, then perhaps fitting engineered wood flooring could be your next challenge!

With the help of our flooring experts, we’ve pulled together a guide on engineered wood flooring installation. From preparation to the all-important finishing touches, find out how to install engineered wood flooring with the right tools and steps.

In this guide:

How to lay engineered wood flooring: things to know
How to lay engineered wood flooring: step by step
Tools you’ll need for fitting engineered wood flooring
How to prepare engineered wood flooring for installation
Fitting engineered wood flooring: The final touches
How to fit engineered wood flooring around door frames
Fitting engineered wood flooring over underfloor heating (UFH) systems
Common mistakes when installing engineered wood flooring
Engineered wood flooring installation methods
Engineered wood flooring installation: FAQs
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How to lay engineered wood flooring: things to know

Engineered wood can be installed using several methods, depending on the product, the room size, and the laying pattern. For smaller rooms, it can be installed as a floating floor, whereas if you’re fitting it in bigger areas or using herringbone planks, the flooring needs to be fully stuck or nailed down for extra stability.

Before starting any flooring installation, always read the manufacturer’s fitting instructions thoroughly. We have tongue-and-groove engineered wood and click engineered wood available at Tapi, so check which installation method your planks have. Click installation is the easier to fit of the two.

Before you begin laying your engineered wood, you need to prepare the subfloor. If your subfloor is concrete or screed, a liquid damp-proof membrane (DPM) might be needed. If you’re going for a fully stuck engineered wood floor, then you’ll need to apply a smoothing compound first.

Remember that wood is a natural product, and there’s likely to be some variation in colour and grain between planks. While this variation makes your floor unique, check the boards for characteristics you might wish to place in less prominent positions. It’s important to order a little extra flooring to ensure you have enough planks if you don’t like some of the bolder natural characteristics of engineered wood.

Tapi Top Tip: Some boards may have larger knots so these may be better located at the edge of a room rather than in the centre.

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How to lay engineered wood flooring: step by step

Here’s our step-by-step guide on how to lay engineered wood flooring:

Familiarise yourself with the planks – Before starting the installation, take a few boards to familiarise yourself with how they will fit together and consider where you’re going to have to make cuts. Consider the length of the planks and the placement of the header joins at the perimeter of the room and ensure the joins across the floor are spaced apart and staggered. Bear in mind you will need to leave around a 15mm expansion gap between the floor and the walls.
Note any radiators, doorways, and recesses – Take note of any radiator pipes or anything else that will require cutting around. We recommend ensuring that you don’t have a plank narrower than 60mm at the edges of the room. Short planks – those less than 30cm - should also be avoided.
Don’t forget the expansion gap – Measure these features beforehand and if necessary, cut the first plank you lay slightly narrower or shorter to accommodate this, allowing for the 15mm expansion gap around the perimeter of the room and radiator pipes.

Tapi Top Tip: Engineered wood flooring looks best when it’s laid parallel to light entering the room, which brings out the characteristics of the grain.

Install the underlay – If you’re installing engineered wood as a floating floor, you’ll need to lay underlay, so do this first. You can use your pencil to mark the underlay where the joins are likely to be to help guide you.
Start laying the engineered wood – Starting in one corner, begin to lay your flooring. If you’re using tongue-and-groove flooring, the ‘tongue’ side goes against the wall, but you'll need to remove the tongue with a multi tool or a chisel so the edge is flat. Use spacers to keep the expansion gap against the wall consistent. If you’re gluing the planks together, we recommend placing the glue on the groove and not the tongue. This gives a better spread and a stronger joint. Attach the floor plank by fitting the tongue in at an angle then use a rubber mallet and tapping block on the short end to tap the planks into place until they are locked together. Be very careful not to damage the outside groove when tapping as it will prevent the next row of boards from being installed correctly.
Clean as you go – Wipe away any excess glue with a sponge or cloth.
Cut the final plank in the row to size – Eventually, you will reach the end of the room and will have to cut one plank down to size. To ensure that your next board is the right size, take a new one, turn it 180 degrees, and lay it up next to the previous one. Use your pencil and square to mark the area to cut. Use the off-cut to start the next row to create the staggered effect – and remember to include the expansion gap!

Tapi Top Tip: We don’t recommend using planks shorter than 300mm at the end of any row. You should also try to avoid two header joints being within 300mm of each other.

Continue laying rows of engineered wood – Repeat the process, checking as you work that all the joins are correct and neat until the whole floor is covered, and you get to the last row of planks. To ensure your floor looks natural, we recommend opening a few packs and randomly selecting planks from them when laying your floor.
Fit the final plank using a pull bar – When you get to the last plank, it’s quite likely that you will have to cut it lengthways to finish the room. Use the pull bar to fit the last plank, ensuring that the plank is secure and in place, with the required expansion gap.

Tools you’ll need for fitting engineered wood flooring

You’ll need the following tools for laying engineered wood flooring:

Pencil	Floor tensioners or ratchet straps	Underlay (for floating installations)
Square or sliding square	Adjustable spacers	PVA glue (for floating tongue & groove installations)
Measuring tape	Moisture meter aka hygrometer	Suitable adhesive (for stick down installations)
2m long spirit level	Electric multi tool or wood chisel	Suitable nails & nail gun (for secret-nailing installations)
Flooring pull bars	Hand saw or electric saw	Sponge or cloth (for stick down installations)
Rubber mallet	Mitre saw	Dustpan & brush
Tapping block	Jigsaw	Vacuum cleaner

If you don’t have any of these things, you can usually find them at any DIY or hardware store, or you might be able to rent them from a tool merchant. Alternatively, we can help connect you with expert independent fitters who can take care of everything for you.

How to prepare engineered wood flooring for installation

As the saying goes, “fail to prepare, prepare to fail”. This is very true when it comes to fitting engineered wood flooring, as there are several steps to take before you even lay the first plank. It’s important not to skip these as it can affect the overall outcome, and in extreme circumstances even lead to your brand-new engineered wood floor cracking or splitting:

Check the moisture levels in the room – Wood is sensitive to changes in moisture, temperature, and humidity. Make sure to check that the subfloor is dry and that the relative humidity within the subfloor and room itself is suitable for installation. Please see the manufacturer’s guidelines for recommendations.
Check the condition of your subfloor – Preparation is key to the performance of your new floor. Make sure your subfloor is dry, smooth, level, and free from debris. You might also need to add a damp-proof membrane or liquid moisture suppressant, depending on the type of subfloor. Our guide on when to replace your subfloor will offer guidance on what you need to look out for.
Acclimatise the planks – Once you’ve checked the subfloor and moisture levels, it’s time to acclimatise your flooring. Place the boxes flat in the room it’s going to be installed in, with space in between the boxes allowing air to circulate. Leave them for at least 48 hours so the product can relax into the environment. The room temperature should be between 18˚C to 27˚C, and the floor temperature above 15˚C. If you fail to do this, you run the risk of your new floor changing shape once it’s installed and potentially bowing, splitting, or cracking.

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Final touches

Now that you know exactly how to install engineered flooring, follow on for tips for how to finish up your installation.

If you’ve not removed the skirting boards, use our complementary solid oak beading to finish up the edges, concealing the expansion gap and giving your floors a neat, finished look.
When you encounter corners, cut the beading to the required angle, approximately 45 degrees, using a mitre saw for a professional finish. Remember to glue or pin them to the skirting board and not the floor to allow for that all-important movement.
We recommend giving the floor time to settle before you start moving heavy furniture and belongings back into the room. If you’ve gone for a stick down installation method, the glue will also need time to fully bond.

Tapi Top Tip: Protect your floor by applying felt pads to the underside of your furniture and entrance matting where necessary.

How to fit engineered wood flooring around door frames

Taking the time to properly fit your flooring around door frames will result in a much better finish. Here’s how to lay an engineered wood floor around door frames while creating a seamless look:

Firstly, make sure the door will open with the floor and the door bar in place. You don’t want to do all this work just to have to redo it! If it doesn’t, remove the door and plane a few millimetres from the bottom so the door can open freely.
If the architrave extends further than the skirting, to achieve the neatest possible finish, trim the architrave to allow space for the underlay and flooring beneath. It's also important that the architrave or skirting is not sitting tight on the engineered wood floor, there should be a couple of millimetres of clearance to avoid pinching.
To do this, place a piece of upside-down board on a piece of underlay next to the door frame and use that to set the level you need to cut. Use a wood chisel and mallet or multi-tool to remove, remembering to leave the expansion gap still.
You should now be able to lay your engineered wood floor with a much neater finish.

How to lay engineered flooring over underfloor heating (UFH) systems

Engineered wood floor is compatible with underfloor heating (UFH) systems, but you need to pay attention to the thickness of the plank. Thick flooring makes it harder for the heat to get through. You also need to check the type of underfloor heating – is it electric or water-based?

In all circumstances, we recommend checking the manufacturer’s information for the selected engineered wood flooring and the UFH system for further guidance. You may find that further subfloor prep needs to be done, such as applying additional smoothing compound to ensure the UFH system is fully encased.

Some key things to remember:

Just as before, you’ll need to acclimatise the engineered wood planks, ensuring that the air temperature is at 18˚C.
Once installed, it’s important to commission the UFH system in small increments of 2˚C every 24 hours until the desired temperature is reached.
The UFH temperature (not the ambient room temperature) should not exceed 27˚C.

What’s most important is that the UFH system has been tested thoroughly (approx. 3 weeks) before your engineered wood floor installation and should be turned off before the fitting begins. And it goes without saying (but we’ll mention it anyway): do not nail down any planks as you’re likely to burst a pipe and cause some serious damage! Stick to glue down or floating installations for rooms with underfloor heating.

Engineered wood flooring installation methods

There are three main ways to install engineered wood flooring: floating, glue down, and secret-nailing. The best method depends on the type of engineered wood flooring you’ve chosen, the subfloor, and the size and shape of your room. Here’s a look at the different methods:

Floating installation: Instead of being fixed directly to the subfloor, the engineered planks are fitted together over a suitable underlay, allowing the floor to move naturally with changes in temperature and humidity.
Glue-down installation: The planks are bonded directly to the subfloor using a flooring adhesive. This provides a secure, stable finish and is often recommended in larger rooms.
Secret-nailing installation: This method involves securing tongue-and-groove engineered wood planks to a suitable subfloor using nails. They are fixed through the tongue at an angle, so they’re hidden once the next plank is fitted.

If you’re unsure which installation method is right for your space, check the manufacturer’s instructions and speak to a professional fitter.

Common mistakes when installing engineered wood flooring

Before you dive into installation, it’s worth knowing some of the most common mistakes to look out for when laying engineered wood.

Skipping the preparation: While you might be eager to see your new flooring in place, skipping the subfloor prep is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. A clean, even subfloor can make all the difference when it comes to the appearance and longevity of your floor.
Forgetting to acclimatise your planks: Engineered wood needs time to adjust to the temperature and humidity of your room. Skipping this step can lead to split or cracked planks.
Not checking the characteristics of each plank: Make sure you look out for undesirable characteristics like larger knots (if you’re not a fan of these). Once the planks are laid, it’s not easy to swap them out, so either remove them or keep them at the edges where they can be hidden by furniture.
Using the wrong installation method: Always check the manufacturer’s instructions before laying your flooring. If in doubt, professional fitters will be able to guide you!
Rushing the finishing touches: Once your floor is fitted, don’t rush to move all your furniture back in. Make sure your expansion gaps are properly covered with solid oak beading too. Taking a little extra care helps achieve a neat, professional finish.

Engineered wood flooring installation: FAQs

Do you need underlay for engineered wood flooring?

Yes, you’ll usually need underlay for engineered wood flooring when it’s installed as a floating floor. Underlay adds extra comfort, sound absorption, and heat insulation. If your engineered wood is stuck down or nailed to the floor, you won’t need underlay.

Can you lay engineered wood flooring on floorboards?

Yes, but rather than laying engineered wood flooring on floorboards, it’s better to lay it on top of a plywood subfloor to provide a level foundation before fitting. Floorboards can be gappy or uneven, which will result in the floor failing, causing problems in the future.

Can you lay engineered wood flooring on concrete?

Yes! Fitting engineered wood flooring on concrete can be done, but just like with other types of subflooring, make sure it’s clean, level, and dry first. Allow a minimum of one day’s drying time for every 1mm in the depth of concrete laid. We recommend booking a Tapi home visit if you’re considering engineered wood, so we can check if you have a damp-proof membrane in place before fitting, or see if an additional moisture suppressant is required.

Discover your dream flooring with Tapi

Now you have a better idea about how to install engineered wood flooring, why not explore our other helpful guides to learn more? Check out our complete engineered wood guide as well as the difference between engineered wood and laminate flooring.

If you’ve got any questions regarding engineered wood flooring or how to take care of a real wood floor, feel free to contact us or pop to your nearest Tapi store to chat with our expert floorologists. We can discuss your ideas, make personalised recommendations, and set you up with a free, no-obligation quote if you have your measurements to hand.