I would like to to put down a DRIcore subfloor over my on grade concrete slab floor and then install engineered hardwood flooring on top of it. Should I staple the flooring to the DRIcore and if so should the DRIcore itself be fastened to the concrete slab? I have heard conflicting opinions on whether or not the DRIcore should be fastened to the concrete. Or would a floating floor be recommended over stapling with the DRIcore? I have often heard that floating floors are inferior to stapled down flooring in terms of sound and feel when walking on them, that they sound 'hollow' or creaky. I do not want to glue my floor down. Any recommendations?
Wood – Should I install a floating floor or a staple down for engineered hardwood
engineered-flooringflooringhardwood-floorsubfloor
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Don't worry about making new tabs or grooves. Just cut the offending tabs off. For the planks on the floor, use a sharp chisel. For the new boards, cut them on a chop saw. You want the two mating faces to be as perfectly square as possible, otherwise you will end up with a gap or one board riding up over the top of the other.
In places where you still have underlayment, a belt sander with a rough grit will take care of that in seconds. Make sure you have a shop vac hooked up to the sander!
Also, try not to have two planks next to each other where you have cut off the side and the end tab. This could lead to buckling. Provided you plan ahead on your installation pattern, this should be achievable.
For what it's worth, what I wound up doing is using the Floor Muffler underlayment, which is its own moisture barrier. As per the directions, I applied it over the subfloor and about 2" up the walls.
It's hard to see, but I have indeed left an appropriate half inch expansion gap between the wood and the drywall. And this is engineered hardwood so I don't expect it to move all that much.
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Best Answer
I have placed Dricore or its equivalent on 2 different jobs. Both are holding up fine, neither felt hollow or creaky. One was in a basement slab, the other was placed on a slab on grade such as yours. The only difference is one had 4" to 10" wide plank flooring from recovered barn wood, the other 2 1/4" strip.
While the subfloor was being laid, I glued the edges of all the pieces before placing. even though it is not required. Also the perimeter had a gap to the wall of at least 1/2". It is laid as a floating floor. I really don't see any problem stapling down your engineered floor to that. When the strip floor went down, the staples where checked for length so they did not go all the way through and pierce the plastic matting.