FLOATING HARDWOOD FLOORS By Dennis R. Parks Prefinished laminated flooring systems from Europe provide the hardwood look over nearly any subfloor Longstrip flooring, a laminated, prefinished European product relatively new to the U.S. market, holds some distinct advantages over traditional hardwood strip flooring. For one thing, it simplifies subfloor preparation since it can be installed over almost any level surface. This gives it the installation versatility of carpet. It also offers a quieter floor than hardwood because a flexible foam sheet separates it from the subfloor. It does this without sacrificing on appearance. In some ways, longstrip looks better than a traditional American hardwood floor because the European factories excel at producing squareedged flooring panels and dust-free finishes. And longstrip achieves that appearance in