In summary, laminate floating floor is an economical and easy-to-install flooring application that hovers over a structural, ground layer. Floating floors work best with a layer in between, or underlayment, to provide extra support and a moisture barrier.

Floating laminate flooring is probably the first type of floating floor. It can contract and expand without buckling as a response to the humidity in a room. The planks are usually coupled together along the edges in a click-lock or fold-and-lock system.

All laminate floors are floating floors. Like vinyl flooring, planks attach side-to-side. The weight and friction of the floor prevents it from shifting. Also like vinyl flooring, laminate flooring can easily be cut by scoring it with a utility knife and snapping it off.

Laminate flooring: The prime example of a floating floor is laminate flooring, which is almost never glued down to the subfloor. The floating method allows the flooring to respond to changes in a room's relative humidity by expanding and contracting without buckling.

Floating flooring refers to the method of installation used for a variety of floor types, including laminate, vinyl, and engineered planks. The term is most closely tied to laminate flooring installations, although it’s found its way to other areas over the years as well.