Cost

• Floating floors are significantly cheaper than their solid-wood or natural-stone counterparts. This is because they provide the same look as these flooring types, but may only use a fraction of the material. Floating floors are typically a piece of plywood with a top layer to resemble the flooring style of your choice. The top layer may be real wood, wood veneer or laminate. Laminate finishes are available in a variety of styles, from wood laminate to stone and tile. The cost of the base layer -- the plywood -- is significantly cheaper than if you were to use a solid piece of wood, stone or tile.
  
  

Preparation

• A floating floor can be installed directly over an existing floor, provided that the existing floor is level and bonded securely to the subfloor. Whether you have a tile floor, hardwood flooring, concrete or even a carpet, a floating floor can be added directly over this floor without any preparation. If you were to install solid hardwood flooring, you would first need to add a subflooring material, such as plywood, to which the hardwood can be nailed. Installing tile flooring requires a smooth surface and the addition of mortar for professional results. When you add a floating floor over another floor surface, however, you will have to account for the difference in height, which can affect the clearance of doors throughout the home. You should be able to account for this height difference by trimming the bottom of each door.
  
  

Installation

• The installation of solid wood flooring requires cutting and nailing the wood into a subfloor. Tile floors need to be cut to fit and then applied with mortar and filled in with grout. To make these flooring types look perfect, a professional installation is usually required. Floating flooring has a tongue-and-groove, interlocking design that makes it easy for any capable do-it-yourselfer to install. Measuring and cutting the floor pieces are required, but lining them up is nearly foolproof. The floating floor may be installed with a bead of glue applied to each groove, but this step is not necessary.
  
  

Separation

• One of the greatest advantages of floating floors is that they do not respond to exposure to humidity like hardwood flooring. Wood expands and contracts as a response to moisture within the home, which can lead to separation between boards and an undesirable creaking sound. Floating floors will also expand and contract, but the individual pieces move together, expanding into the perimeter left around the baseboard. The pieces are able to do this because they are interlocked to create a solid piece. Solid hardwood floors are nailed down individually to the plywood subfloor, causing them to respond independently as a result of high or low relative humidity. In addition to the lack of separation, engineered floating floors are highly moisture resistant, making them the ideal flooring candidate for basements, which are generally prone to moisture.