Click Flooring vs. Loose Lay

Vinyl flooring comes in a few different installation methods. There are reasons to choose each. Click installation is sometimes referred to as a floating floor it’s most popular installations method is click. In this method each plank is connected to the next creating what is called a floating floor. With a floating floor you must leave the proper expansion gap around the perimeter of the floor and you are not able to put anything extremely heavy on it, because it will stop the floor from being able to expand and contract freely. Technically after 15 to 20 feet in any direction there should be a molding to prevent any buckling. We seldom see this rule applied in real life installs. Floating floor are generally inexpensive. They can go over other types of flooring, in the case of a remodel. They can also float over some minor floor imperfections. 

Loose lay each plank is laid tight to the plank next to it but there’s no locking mechanism. So the floor isn’t floating and can be laid in any direction. Loose lay is generally a little more expensive for the material, but your getting a great value. Loose lay is my favorite installation method because it doesn’t require any expansion gaping. Moldings are not required. You can install the floor in patterns if you like and you can change direction of the flooring to make hallways and rooms look more spacious.  We recommend a perimeter or grid glue in some situations, like commercial installs or high traffic areas. You can also install things on top of the flooring, like built in cabinets. Lastly, and maybe the most cool feature, if a piece is ever damaged you can just pull it up with a plunger and put down a new piece!