Solid hardwood must be nailed or stapled down to a wood subfloor. The nails or staples are shot through the tongue of the planks at an angle. Typically, solid hardwood is not installed over concrete subfloors. There are some glues available that work with solid hardwood that are very expensive and not totally trusted by installers.
The significant difference between solid and engineered hardwood is the way hardwood must be installed. With engineered hardwood, there are options regarding how to install it. It can go down on a wood or concrete subfloor.
On a concrete subfloor, glue is troweled out, and the pieces are put down. It is a little more difficult for DIYers but very common. The other method of installing engineered hardwood over a concrete subfloor is to float the flooring.
The tongue-and-groove is glued together. A thin bead of glue is put on the groove side of the pieces, and they are laid over the floor. On wood subfloors, engineered hardwood can be installed in the same manner as solid hardwood.
At Michael's Flooring Outlet, we have hardwood that will complement the style of your home. Our showrooms are located in Florissant, Creve Coeur, Dardenne Prairie, and St. Peters. We have hardwood customers from these towns and the Greater St. Charles and St. Louis Counties.