For definitions of terms used throughout this project see Flooring Glossary.
Subfloors & Underlayment
 The subfloor is the layer of flooring that sits directly on top of the floor joists. Subfloors in older homes are generally made of diagonal or straight planking. Newer homes usually have plywood subfloors. Before starting a flooring project, be sure that the subfloor is stable and well-secured to the joists. (If you have access to the joists, it’s always a good idea to check and make sure that they are in good condition. Make sure that older joists haven’t started to crack or split and that newer joists haven’t had too many holes drilled in them for pipes, wires or ducts.)
 Many floors will require an additional layer on top of the subfloor – the underlayment. For vinyl flooring the underlayment is often a ¼” layer of plywood that creates a smooth surface. For tile the underlayment is often concrete backerboard, which helps stablilize the flooring and keeps the tile or the grout joints from cracking. (For lots more about tile flooring, see the Ceramic Tile section of this site.)
Floating Floors
 A “Floating Floor” is a fairly new installation technique but one that is becoming increasingly common. It started in the late 1990s when “Pergo” was introduced in the US. (Pergo was one of the original brands of floating “laminate” flooring and some people still use the term to refer to any floating floor.)
Floating floors come in planks: 12" x48" is a common size. The planks connect to each other but are not attached to the surface underneath. There is always a thin foam underlayment to cushion the planks and keep them from sticking to the subfloor.
 Floating floors need some room to expand and contract, so they are always installed with an expansion gap where the flooring meets walls, cabinets, plumbing fixtures or other floorings. These gaps are covered with baseboard or trim pieces.
Laminate flooring is the most common type of floating floor. It has a plastic surface on top of an engineered wood base. The image on the surface is actually a photograph of a flooring material.
There always seems to be something new available in floating floors. Here are a few of the key features that have come on the market since the product was first introduced.
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Built-in underlayment. Instead of rolling out a separate foam underlayment, many planks have the foam attached to the bottom.
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Different Styles. Since the surface is really just a picture there are endless possibilities. Hundreds of different wood looks are available, as well as stone and even ceramic tile (compete with recessed grout joints).
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Glueless Installation. The original laminate floorings needed to be glued together, which was messy, time-consuming, and difficult. Almost all laminates now are “click together.” Once you get the hang of the click-together process, it goes very quickly. (See Glueless Floors)
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Natural materials. Cork, bamboo and linoleoum are a few of the materials now available in floating floor planks. It’s the same technology, but with a thin layer of natural material on top instead of the plastic.
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