Nail-down uses a pneumatic cleat nailer to fasten each board through its tongue into a wood subfloor — the traditional method for solid hardwood. Glue-down uses full-spread adhesive to bond flooring directly to concrete or wood — common for engineered hardwood and LVT over slab. Floating locks boards together at joints without fastening to the subfloor — the standard method for LVP and many engineered products. Each method has specific subfloor requirements, acoustic characteristics, and appropriate applications. RainFire Builders selects the correct method based on the product, subfloor type, and installation conditions — not installer preference.