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PSA: I still think a full glue-down is better than floating a big LVP job
Last week in a new build over in Springfield, the builder wanted the whole main floor done with that thick 20 mil wear layer LVP, floating. I argued for a full spread of adhesive, but got outvoted. Three years back, I did a glue-down for a repeat client's open concept space, about 1200 square feet. That floor still feels solid as a rock, no hollow spots, no movement at all under heavy furniture. This new one... you can feel a little give near the island already, and we just finished. The install was faster floating, sure, but I'm telling you, for a forever home, that extra day of troweling glue is worth it. Has anyone else had a floating floor feel less stable after a few months on a big area?
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jessesingh2mo ago
Ever try a full trowel-on adhesive with a moisture barrier? We did that on a large basement rec room and it completely eliminated any bounce, even with a pool table in the center.
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amymason2d ago
That 2,000 square foot basement rec room you mentioned would need at least 40 gallons of that adhesive at $60 a pop. Bet that project came in around $2,400 just for the glue. And all for a pool table that weighs maybe 700 pounds tops. Meanwhile a floating LVP with a decent cork underlayment would've cost a third of that and handled the load fine. Moisture barriers are a scam half the time anyway - they trap moisture against the slab if you don't have perfect drainage around the foundation. My buddy did the same trowel-on method in his 1950s ranch and the adhesive bubbled up within two years because the slab wasn't fully cured. You're basically betting the whole floor on the concrete being perfectly dry forever.
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