The differences between a floating and glued vinyl floor?

There's a lot of discussion about the difference between click vinyl (floating vinyl) and gluedown vinyl (dryback vinyl). The distinction between these two types of vinyl flooring often causes confusion. Each seller has their own story, but what really are the differences? And which floor is most suitable for your situation?

Trends show that there is an increasing choice for click vinyl, but why? Both types of floors have their advantages and disadvantages.

What are the main differences between click vinyl and stick vinyl?
A click vinyl floor is also known as a floating vinyl floor. This means the floor is not glued to the subfloor. When installing a click vinyl floor, you always place an underlay first, followed by the flooring. The floor and the underlay always form a complementary product. In other words, you cannot install vinyl planks or tiles without using an underlay. A quality underlay is necessary for its leveling properties.

A gluedown vinyl floor is also called a dryback vinyl floor. This type of vinyl flooring is glued directly to the subfloor. You don’t need an underlay, but you do need a layer of adhesive. In other words, you permanently fix the floor to the subfloor. It is important that the subfloor is 100% level.

The main difference is that gluedown vinyl uses an adhesive layer, whereas click vinyl uses an underlay. The underlay takes over the functions of the adhesive layer: firmness (non-floating) and sound insulation. A third function of the underlay is shock absorption.

Combination with underfloor heating
Both Floorify click vinyl floors and gluedown vinyl floors are perfectly suitable for use with underfloor heating. It is often believed that gluedown floors provide better heat conduction, but thanks to our specially developed Floorify Performance underlay, click floors perform just as well. This underlay is the best choice for click floors and ensures efficient heat transfer.

Floorify vinyl floors even achieve 50% better performance than the European standard in terms of heat conductivity. This difference is hardly noticeable in practice, making both click and gluedown floors ideal for use with underfloor heating.

Substrate
A click vinyl can be laid on almost any substrate without too much preparation. So you can lay the floor on an existing tile floor, wooden floor, etc. If you opt for a stick vinyl then the substrate must be completely flat. This therefore involves additional work and costs. A click vinyl is therefore the renovation floor par excellence.

Installation
The difference between click and gluedown floors mainly lies in the installation and preparation. Click floors are thin (about 6-6.5 mm including underlay) and are installed as a floating floor, which means they take up less building height and can be laid more quickly. They require minimal subfloor preparation and can be installed by yourself. After installation, the floor can be walked on immediately.

Gluedown floors are thinner (about 2.5 mm) but must be glued directly onto a perfectly flat and well-prepared subfloor. This means the floor must first be primed, made moisture-resistant, leveled, and sanded. Because this is a more involved process, professional installation is necessary. After installation, you need to wait a few hours before walking on the floor and about 24 hours before placing furniture.

For the best advice on which floor and installation method suits your situation, we recommend visiting your local Floorify dealer. They can guide you to the best choice for your home and needs.

Problems afterwards?
A click floor is also easier to replace, making it ideal for rental homes or shops. With a glue-down floor, replacement often requires re-leveling, which involves more time and cost.

Durable floor
Want a sustainable floor? Choose Floorify. Our vinyl floors have a long lifespan, are energy-efficient, and fully ready for the circular economy.

All our floors are designed to be used as long as possible, reused, and at the end of their lifecycle, easily recycled. We are happy to recycle your leftover Floorify floor pieces for you through our new recycling program, Floorevive.

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