Floating, Direct Stick, or Dual Bond Timber: Which Is Best For You?

There are plenty of options available on the market for you to choose from, and at first glance, they may not look all that different; but with time, the side effects of a poor flooring choice can show. At Floorcon, we offer a wide selection of commercial timber flooring in Melbourne perfectly suited for all kinds of establishments, with low VOC ratings and high durability guaranteed. However, our flooring experts also understand that each establishment is different and may require another type of flooring to achieve the best results in terms of aesthetics, wear and tear, and overall value.

Here, we help you take a closer look at three of our most popular commercial timber flooring options so you can decide which suits your building’s requirements best.

Direct stick timber

Direct stick timber involves sticking the timber floorboards or panel directly to the subfloor by means of glue or nails, without the use of an underlay. Both solid and engineered timber are suitable for commercial direct stick timber flooring, so you have options to add further reinforcement to your floor. Direct stick timber is the easiest way to achieve a ‘natural’ hardwood look and feel for your floor, with great stability and durability, and it is also quieter underfoot than most timber installations, so it is ideal for areas with heavy traffic needing reduced sound.

Choose if:

You have an uneven subfloor to install the flooring on top of. (Ideally, the substrate has been adequately levelled to meet the Australian standard, however, directly adhering timber to a slightly uneven substrate is possible with this installation method).

You need flooring for large indoor spaces with medium to heavy foot traffic without creating much noise.

Don’t choose if:

You are looking for a temporary floor renovation, as direct stick timber can be tough to remove.

You are looking to save on labour, as commercial direct stick timber is more labour intensive than other flooring options, e.g., floating timber floors.

Floating floor timber

Installers can fit commercial floating timber floors over any dry, solid surface that can act as a subfloor, including concrete, tiles, vinyl, or even old timber floorboards. Floating timber floors are not fixed to the subfloor; instead, the floorboards are held together by glue or a click-and-lock mechanism and are then laid on foam or rubber underlay, generally with in-built moisture barrier properties. So it’s a great option if you’re looking to install flooring over existing surfaces that is not an ideal subfloor for direct stick timber. It still has all the durability and low maintenance of direct stick timber and is also easier to install. Floating floor timber is not ideal for high-traffic areas as they are less adept at masking noise than direct stick or dual bond timber and are more likely to shift. To minimise movement in floating floors, adequate floor levelling and grinding should be undertaken.

Choose if:

You require flooring that can be easily removed, if necessary, without ruining the subfloor or incurring additional costs.

You are looking to save money on your flooring installation.

Don’t choose if:

Your establishment has high volumes of foot traffic, especially heavy furniture or high heeled shoes leaving scuff marks and noise.

You want to save on time, since installing the underlay for commercial floating timber floors requires additional labour.

Dual bond timber

Dual bond timber installation is a method by which timber flooring adheres to an acoustic underlay (with specified polyurethane timber adhesive), generally 3-4mm thick. This acoustic underlay is attached directly to the substrate with either selected rubber adhesive or polyurethane timber adhesive. This installation provides better acoustic properties and especially suits projects with occupants residing on the level below.

Choose if:

You require a long-term flooring solution for high-traffic areas.

The acoustic qualities of your flooring are more important to you than price sensitivity to installation fees.

You are renovating an apartment block or multi-level office space where slabs may only pass acoustic tests on timber when using the acoustic underlay.

Don’t choose if:

You are on a tighter budget, as commercial dual bond timber flooring can be significantly more expensive than direct stick or floating floor.

Get the most out of timber flooring with Floorcon

At Floorcon, we have a great range of timber flooring to suit just about any commercial application you can name. Our experienced team will advise you on the right timber flooring for your space. Whether you need to furnish high-traffic areas or lower noise, we’ve got a solution that will work for you.