- 1). Prepare your sub floor. Floating floors can be installed directly over most surfaces, including wood, linoleum or tile. If you are installing over concrete, however, you should cover the sub floor with a 1/4-inch layer of plywood before you begin to give yourself a solid, stable base. The plywood can be fastened to the sub floor using staples or concrete fasteners.
- 2). Measure the room to calculate how much material you will need. By multiplying the length and width of the space, you can calculate square footage. Add about 10 percent to this number before making your purchase to account for installation mistakes or future repairs. You can purchase floating floors at a home improvement or hardware store.
- 3). Cover the surface with a layer of foam flooring underlayment. This product helps to deaden the sound of footsteps and other noise, and also makes the floor more comfortable to walk on. Nail or staple the foam to the sub floor. If the material you purchased has a foam underlayment already attached to the wood, you can skip this step.
- 4). Start laying your flooring along the longest wall in the room. The "tongue" side of the plank should face the wall, and there should be a 1/4-inch gap between the wall and the flooring. This gap will allow the wood to expand along with changes in humidity and temperature.
- 5). Connect the planks by placing the tongue of one into the groove of the adjacent board. Press down firmly to snap them together. Tap the side of each plank with a rubber mallet as you work to ensure they are tightly connected. Stagger the joints of each row as you work.
- 6). Cut the planks as necessary using a miter saw. If you plan to reuse the smaller pieces that are leftover as you cut, make sure to intersperse them along with the larger sections. Placing all the small pieces in one area will give your finished floor an unprofessional look, and will make the surface less stable.
- 7). Use a pry bar to force the last row of material into place. Cover the expansion joints with baseboards or trim. Fasten these pieces every six inches using a hammer and finish nails.
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