How each one goes down
A floating floor is built as one sheet. The planks click together along their edges, and the whole floor sits on the slab, held in place by its own weight and by the trim at the walls. Nothing is attached to the concrete. SPC rigid core planks are designed for this. The Montserrat SPC guide says the product is made to float over an existing floor without glue.
A glue-down floor is bonded to the slab plank by plank. Mohawk's glue-down instructions have the installer trowel adhesive onto the concrete, let it dry to the touch, lay the planks, and then roll the whole floor in four directions with a roller weighing at least 100 pounds. Some SPC products can go either way. COREtec Pro, for example, approves its SPC planks for glue-down over concrete.
Side by side on a slab
| Floating click | Glue-down | |
|---|---|---|
| Attached to slab | No | Yes, with adhesive |
| Slab flatness | 3/16 inch in 10 feet (COREtec Pro) | Must meet ACI FF25 for concrete (Mohawk) |
| Moisture limit | Set by the plank maker; poly film often recommended | Set by the adhesive; readings valid only with the approved adhesive |
| Cleaning after install | Normal care | No washing for at least 5 days (Mohawk) |
| Under kitchen cabinets | Area must be glued, plus 2 feet beyond (COREtec Pro) | Already bonded |
| FEMA TB-2 flood rating | Not listed as acceptable | Vinyl with chemical-set adhesive on concrete: acceptable |
| Replacing one plank | Unclick back to the damaged row | Cut out and re-glue |
The flood question
FEMA's Technical Bulletin 2 lists which materials hold up when floodwater sits on them. Vinyl sheets or tiles set with chemical-set adhesives, such as epoxy-polyamide, are rated acceptable. The bulletin gives an example: vinyl tile with those adhesives is acceptable on a concrete floor but not over plywood, because the plywood needs the vinyl removed to dry out.
That rating belongs to glued vinyl on concrete. It does not extend to floating click floors, and we won't tell you it does. Water can get under a floating floor, and after a flood it is usually pulled up so the slab can dry. If your home is in a flood zone, that difference is worth a conversation before you choose.
Heat, sun and Florida rooms
Heat is where the two methods behave differently. COREtec Pro allows its floating SPC floors to handle room temperatures from minus 25 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit in three-season rooms, and it says plainly that this allowance is for floating floors only, not glue-down. Mohawk's glue-down instructions call for 65 to 85 degrees before, during and after installation.
Both methods need an expansion gap at the walls. COREtec Pro calls for 1/4 inch in areas under 2,500 square feet and 1/2 inch in larger ones. Direct sun through big glass can fade and overheat any vinyl, so blinds help no matter how the floor is laid.
What the prep looks like for each
A floating floor bridges small flaws, so prep focuses on flatness and moisture. Low spots beyond the maker's tolerance get filled with a portland cement based patch, the slab is swept clean, and a poly film goes down over the concrete when the plank maker recommends it.
A glued floor needs more. Mohawk asks for a clean, smooth, flat and dry surface with wax, grease and other contaminants removed, since anything left on the slab can break the bond. Very porous concrete may need a primer so the slab doesn't soak up the adhesive. The adhesive is spread only as far as the crew can cover in about two hours.
When glue-down makes sense
Glue-down asks more of the slab. The adhesive has its own moisture and pH limits, the concrete has to be flatter, and taking the floor out later means scraping adhesive, which is slow work.
- Heavy cabinets or an island will sit on the new floor. A floating floor pinned by cabinets can't move, so makers require that area glued anyway.
- The house is in a flood-prone area and you want the material FEMA rates as flood damage-resistant.
- Stairs, ramps and landings, where Mohawk notes planks may need to be adhered.
What we usually recommend
For most Central Florida slab homes, a floating SPC floor is the practical choice. It goes in faster, with nothing to cure. It tolerates the heat swings of a sunroom better, and a damaged plank can be swapped without chiseling. Where cabinets sit or where flooding is a real risk, we talk through gluing all or part of the floor.
If a single plank gets damaged later, a floating floor is the easier fix. The installer unclicks the rows back to the damaged plank, swaps it, and clicks them back together. On a glued floor the damaged plank is cut out and a new one is set in fresh adhesive. Keep a box of leftover planks from your job either way, because matching a color years later isn't always possible.
Whichever method you choose, the slab gets checked for flatness and moisture first. Our luxury vinyl plank installation page covers both methods and how we prep the floor.
Questions People Ask
Is floating or glue-down LVP better on concrete?
For most homes, floating click SPC is the better fit. It installs faster, handles temperature swings better, and single planks are easier to replace. Glue-down is better under heavy cabinets, on stairs, and where flood resistance matters, because FEMA rates vinyl set in chemical-set adhesive on concrete as flood damage-resistant.
Can SPC vinyl plank be glued down?
Some can. COREtec Pro, for example, approves its SPC products for glue-down over approved concrete and wood subfloors using the adhesive label's instructions. Not every SPC product allows it, so the method has to match the manufacturer's installation guide or the warranty is at risk.
Is floating vinyl plank flood resistant?
The plank itself is waterproof, but FEMA's flood damage-resistant rating covers vinyl set with chemical-set adhesives on concrete, not floating floors. Water can get under a floating floor, and after a flood it usually has to come up so the slab and walls can dry.
Can kitchen cabinets go on top of a floating floor?
Not by just setting them on it. A floating floor needs room to expand and contract. COREtec Pro requires the area under cabinets and islands to be fully glued to the subfloor, plus an extra 2 feet beyond them. The simpler route is usually to run the floor up to the cabinet base.
Is glue-down vinyl harder to remove later?
Yes. A floating floor comes up in whole rows, since nothing holds it to the slab. A glued floor has to be pried or scraped up, and the adhesive left behind has to be removed or leveled before the next floor goes down. That is slow work and it adds cost to the next project.
How long before I can walk on glue-down vinyl?
Under Mohawk's glue-down instructions, you can walk on the planks right away. Heavy furniture and appliances should be moved back over plywood, and the floor should not be washed or scrubbed for at least 5 days so the planks can seat in the adhesive.
Sources
- FEMA Technical Bulletin 2, Flood Damage-Resistant Materials Requirements (2025): https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_tb_2_flood_damage-resistant_materials_requirements_01-22-2025.pdf
- COREtec Pro residential installation guidelines for SPC products: https://pdmsview.shawinc.com/USFloors/COREtec-Pro/Installation/Residential-Installation-Guidelines-for-SPC-Produc
- Mohawk residential installation guide, LVT click and glue-down: https://mohawk.blob.core.windows.net/mohawkflooring/pdf/install/Unidrop_LVT_Installation_Instructions.pdf
- Montserrat rigid core vinyl (SPC) installation and maintenance guide: https://images.thdstatic.com/catalog/pdfImages/5a/5a9c1ad8-176c-4d32-9bda-225bbe6d4c45.pdf