Click-Lock Solid Oak Hardwood Flooring for DIYers

What is Click-Lock Hardwood Flooring

Click-lock hardwood flooring is a method of attaching two hardwood floorboards together without screws, glue, brads, or staples. It was initially designed for laminate and engineered hardwood floors. The wood boards have unique grooves along the edges that fit together, interlocking the hardwood floor. 

Although most engineered and laminate hardwood floors connect in this fashion, they typically use glue or nails in addition to the locking system.

Easiklip hardwood flooring took this concept further and developed a “click-lock” system for solid hardwood flooring and the end result is a floating hardwood floor. The hardwood floor’s weight keeps it in place without attaching it permanently to the subfloor. We’ll cover more about this hardwood flooring later.

The Advantage of Snap-Together Hardwood Flooring

Click-lock hardwood flooring has become popular as it is user friendly and easier to work with. Here are some reasons to choose this type of wood flooring over others.

Install Hardwood Flooring Quickly and Easily

Installing any solid hardwood floor requires a bit of experience and know-how. But a click-lock type hardwood floor is DIY-friendly. The wood floorboards fit together snugly and correctly aligned, which will save you time that otherwise you would be spending on spacing hardwood floor gaps. 

You Don’t Need Nails or Glue

As we mentioned above, most snap-together hardwood floors are floating floors. That means no glue or nails and a simpler installation process. Thinner flooring like laminates does require glue because they don’t have the weight or bulk of solid hardwood flooring to keep them from moving.

Another advantage of floating hardwood floors is that they can expand and contract naturally through the various seasons. Permanent thinner/lower quality wood flooring can buckle or warp during high or low humidity conditions because they can’t move.

Real Wood Hardwood Floating Floors are More Affordable

Hardwood floating floors can save you money both in labor and materials. Whether you pay an installer to do it or lay it yourself, click-lock hardwood floors install much faster. With permanent solid hardwood flooring, you have the extra expense of equipment, fasteners, adhesive, or all three. Additionally, each wood floor plank takes longer to install.

The main reason why people opted for permanent installation was to get solid hardwood. That’s not the case anymore, as Easiklip offers solid hardwood white oak flooring that clips together. It’s both affordable and DIY-friendly.

Another advantage of a hardwood floating floor is that it’s much easier to disassemble for localized repair or if you want to move the entire hardwood floor to a new location. You unclip it and take it with you.

Install Over Your Existing Hardwood Floor

A floating, clip-together solid hardwood floor installs over almost any floor. If you plan to install a hardwood floor over an unlevel or uneven surface, this article will help you level the hardwood floor before installing the new one.

For best results, use an appropriate floor underlayment. Floor underlayment can be a moisture barrier to prevent moisture from wicking up if you install over concrete. It is good soundproofing for installing on higher floors too.

Types of Interlocking Hardwood Flooring

When we mention interlocking, click-lock, or snap-together hardwood flooring, we’re referring to the installation method, not the rubber mats you find at the gym. The three primary materials for home click-lock flooring are vinyl, engineered, and solid hardwood. 

Let’s look at the properties of each type of flooring.

Vinyl & Laminate Flooring

Vinyl is a 100% synthetic material. Typically, the core is fiberglass, and the top layer is vinyl imprinted with an image of wood to resemble the look of a wood floor. 

The built-in click-lock system makes it easy to install and economical for high-traffic areas. It’s water-proof, making it a good choice for mudrooms, daycare centers, and below-grade such as basements.

Laminate flooring is similar to vinyl, except the core is usually constructed using wood by-products, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), or high-density fiberboard (HDF). Laminate flooring, like vinyl, uses a hard, transparent plastic wear layer that protects the simulated wood design layer.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Engineered hardwood flooring is as close to the look of genuine hardwood as you can get. Its construction consists of a thin veneer of real hardwood mounted on a core. The core is typically plywood, particleboard, or a synthetic compound.

Engineered hardwood flooring is usually less expensive than solid hardwood flooring and easier to install with the click-lock system.

Solid Hardwood Flooring 

Nothing beats the beauty, value and feel of real hardwood flooring.

To compare all three types of flooring, read “Engineered Hardwood vs. Laminate Flooring: Learn the Differences.”

Why Click-Lock Solid Oak Hardwood Flooring Is an Excellent Choice

With so many hardwood flooring options, why choose solid hardwood flooring? There are at least five excellent reasons why you should put solid hardwood flooring under your feet.

1. It’s the Best Investment – Nothing adds value to a home better then solid hardwood flooring. Homes with hardwood flooring sell for up to 10% more, and buyers prefer solid hardwood over other flooring options.
2. Solid Hardwood Flooring is Durable – With a little TLC, a quality hardwood floor can last for generations. 
3. Real Wood Flooring is Sustainable – Hardwood is a sustainable material, unlike petroleum-based vinyl flooring or adhesives in engineered floors.
4. It’s Beautiful – Solid hardwood flooring retain their beauty for decades and are easy to maintain. 
5. Always in Style – Hardwood flooring is timeless. It looks great with any décor or style.

The added advantage of a clip-together solid hardwood floor is there is no mess or fumes from adhesives. Installation times are reduced by as much as 30% since there is no glue or nails to slow you down.

Easiest Way to Install Your New Solid Hardwood Floor

Easiklip solid hardwood flooring installs using patented aluminum clips that hold each plank firmly to the next. 

It’s an easy 4-step procedure.

Step 1 – Lay down an underlayment of plastic sheets.

Step 2 – Install the flooring underlayment. 

Step 3 – Attach clips to the first row of boards and set them in place beginning in the right-hand corner of the room.

Step 4 – Install the next row, ensuring that each wood floorboard “clicks” into the clips.

To see how easy it is and all the installation details, check out the video, “How to Install Solid Hardwood Flooring by Easiklip.”

A Perfectly Fitted Solid Hardwood Flooring in Less Time 

Easiklip’s solid hardwood flooring system is the quick, easy, and glueless method of installing solid oak hardwood flooring. DIYers and professional installers can install a beautiful hardwood floor in a shorter time. 

The entire wood floor can be disassembled and moved to another location at any time. It’s entirely reusable with no damage to the floor or subfloor.

To learn more, visit the Easiklip floating hardwood floor installation page here.