I finally listened to a client who said my glue lines were too thick on her engineered floor in Tempe

She pointed at a seam and said, 'That looks like a brown river,' so I switched to a 3/32-inch V-notch trowel for the next room and the difference was night and day, so what's the smallest notch you guys will go with on a 5/16-inch floating click floor?

3 comments

3 Comments

robinp721mo ago

Wait, a brown river? That's brutal. @the_andrew is right though, you can't go smaller than 1/16 without risking the bond.

the_andrew1mo agoMost Upvoted

I read a technical guide from a glue maker that said a 1/16 inch U-notch is the minimum for most floating floors. On a 5/16 inch click floor, I wouldn't go smaller than that. The glue needs to spread enough to actually bond the panels, not just make a thin film. Using too little adhesive is a big risk for future squeaks or separation. That 3/32 V-notch you used is probably the sweet spot for balancing a clean look with a strong hold.

taylor_young1mo ago

Honestly, that brown river line would have wrecked me for a week (clients really know how to pick their words). I had a guy get obsessed with the squeeze-out on his maple floor, so we did a whole test board with different trowels. It's wild how much the look changes with just a tiny notch switch.