# Flooring Glue-down transition to Floating



## jplev22 (Nov 21, 2012)

Hi,

We are planning to install an engineered wood flooring which transitions to tile.

The engineered floor will be floated but I would like to avoid installing a t-molding type trim to transition between the two types of flooring.

The subfloor in a radiant-heated concrete.

I was planning to transition the engineered floor going from:

1. engineered flooring / underlay / concrete

2. (~6" wide) engineered flooring / bostik's best / grout / bonding adhesive / concrete

3. Ceramic tile / thinset / concrete



The engineed floor in only 15' wide in that area. Manufacturer specs 35' maximum span before needing transition trim.

Would you be confident this would hold-up?


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## Floormasta78 (Apr 6, 2011)

I want to respond to your question, can you amplify your question please..

Why don't you glue down the floor. I don't see the point in floating a floor that can be nailed or glued. 

Might as well get Laminate, your engineered wood flooring will feel like a laminate because of the slight " bounce". I think you'll be spending your money on floating .


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## MIKE ANTONETTI (Jul 17, 2012)

You can just glue the tiles together also, no need for thinset.
Proper installation calls for transition (T) molding to tile for expansion and contraction 
All things on earth exp. and cont.
It can be done without, I've seen it done where it has and has not worked, it's a gamble.
If your floor is not flat and the wood sticks up a little near the ceramic , guess what - you have no transition holding it down to the floor.
Direction of hardwood, lengthwise versus end joints butting up to ceramic should be considered.
Floating floors are awesome - when I'm ripping them up, that is when they are beneficial. 
I agree with faloor maasta. 
I usually drill, dowel and nail my transitions down over concrete, (mostly to hold down flooring and transition due to uneven floors) 
With radiant heating if you don't install, let installer know not to drill in slab.


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## Floormasta78 (Apr 6, 2011)

Glue drown... Lol


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## adamsb (Aug 25, 2005)

Floormasta78 said:


> Glue drown... Lol


Even though the circles in the glue are pretty, the glue lines are supposed to be exactly perpendicular to the wood


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## MIKE ANTONETTI (Jul 17, 2012)

adams said:


> Even though the circles in the glue are pretty, the glue lines are supposed to be exactly perpendicular to the wood


Funny or serious? For ceramic tile, yes


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## adamsb (Aug 25, 2005)

Serious, talk to the manufacturers. I didn't make this stuff up. Learned in seminars, have I ever had a floor come up either way?...no, but just saying this is what they want. Check it out.


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## MIKE ANTONETTI (Jul 17, 2012)

As with tile it prevents air from being trapped underneath and allows the glue to cover "100" %
Makes sense, ok now what about - never mind don't want to know( LVT, VCT)
I am hearing chatter about troweling 1/16 square notch then nap roller to knock down ridges which helps bond better and prevents telegraphing thru product.
Thread- F.M. - good termination point at middle of door when closed different material on each side.


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## Floormasta78 (Apr 6, 2011)

I roll with a 75 lb roller after, so it really it does not make a difference


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## Floormasta78 (Apr 6, 2011)

See ...

I'm the man..!


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## astor (Dec 19, 2008)

Tile and wood...you can not step on one, you can work on top the other..I usually do not roll-but never run into problem.Flatness and quality adhesive help for sure.


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## RickT1962 (Sep 21, 2012)

Never understood why people install the floating floor here in the states. It was developed over in Europe because over ther when people move out they take the Furniture, The Flooring and even lighting fixtures ! LOL Here we just take the furniture. Flooring stays behind.


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## ccoffer (Jan 30, 2005)

jplev22 said:


> The engineed floor in only 15' wide in that area. Manufacturer specs 35' maximum span before needing transition trim.
> 
> Would you be confident this would hold-up?


Uhh. Dude, the tmold at 35 feet is put out in the middle of the room for expansion. That spec has nothing to do with what you're talking about. Sounds like you're wanting something floating to meet something that's not. By definition, that means one will be moving and the other not. That's the reason for the tmold.


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## Floormasta78 (Apr 6, 2011)

You guys follow to many of the guidelines too close.

Sounds like you are just beginners. 
Experience will teach you that guidelines are just that, they don't mean anything sometimes. Every job is different and calls for expertise more than guidelines. 

But hey ! , whatever works for you heroes. 

It's just sounds funny sometimes the what I some of you professionals sound.


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## BKM Resilient (May 2, 2009)

Floormasta78 said:


> You guys follow to many of the guidelines too close.
> 
> Sounds like you are just beginners.
> Experience will teach you that guidelines are just that, they don't mean anything sometimes. Every job is different and calls for expertise more than guidelines.
> ...


********************************
If their profession is not flooring then I'd advise they strictly follow those "guidelines" as closely as is feasible. Also, even flooring guys outside their main installation expertise ought to stick to the "rules" of the road until they've got the kind of experience to experiment and improve on the Old Family Recipe. 

Aside from that I fully agree with your premise. For those of us with a LIFETIME and more (rhetorically) on our knees it sounds silly to be so pedantic. It's just not realistic in the REAL WORLD to be installing floors with one hand and holding the instruction manual with the other. No one does that in ANY trade EVER in the real world ONCE THEY KNOW MORE THAN WHAT'S SCRIBBLED IN MICROSCOPIC PRINT on the side of pail or carton.


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## adamsb (Aug 25, 2005)

Guidelines aren't all that bad, as they help weed out the fly by nighters. They try to make a claim to the manufacturers after they jack leg a job in and that doesn't go so well. We have a problem with guys that go to the pawn shop and buy a worn out trowel and a chop saw. Throw in the trunk of their car and then Wa La, there you have a professional floor installer that's in business...for hisself!


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## MIKE ANTONETTI (Jul 17, 2012)

I'll 2nd anyone trying to follow "guidelines", old timers don't have a clue installing products that are new, you're 30 years experience doesn't mean squat when you don't read the side of the bucket to tell you what notch to use etc. there are new products everyday being introduced, how much experience you have installing a brand new product "0". 
You can improve your installations here and there from tips and pointers and pass on some info, I don't know if someone was saying I sound like a beginner but I have 20 years experience and of someone that started yesterday is going to give me a tip, I'll run with it because its only gonna make me more money somehow or another.


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## ccoffer (Jan 30, 2005)

_It's just sounds funny sometimes the what I some of you professionals sound. _

Yeah. Like doing something as dumb as rolling a glue down hardwood installation like it was VCT or something. hehe


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

I dont think rolling anything glued is a bad idea. I have admittedly not ever rolled a wood floor though. 

With regards to the topic at hand you could install the tile with a schluter edge or even T trim and then color match silicone the wood to tile transition. It should be fine. You could even run some adhesive under the last row to promote movement away from the silicone transition. 

I would love to see the before and after pictures! Thanks for commenting on our board JP.


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## MIKE ANTONETTI (Jul 17, 2012)

I agree glue the edge next to the tile, 
As far as rolling, anything between that roller and hardwood is going to indent the wood(us pros already know this) also I get a little Leary about rolling due to the floor not being very flat, rolling over distributing glue and then the wood floor lifting slightly back up to balance out from high to low.


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