If you have ever wondered about laying your own hardwood floors, you may be surprised to find that it is not as daunting a task as it seems. Many homeowners have successfully installed their own floors, and if you opt to install yours you will be happy to find that you can do it for much less that it costs to have one installed. Once you have installed the floor, you will be able to enjoy a floor that is very durable and always looks wonderful. If you have an average sized room, installing your own hardwood floor makes a great weekend project.
Preparation The first thing that you want to do when you are getting ready to install a hardwood floor is to prepare the surface for the floor. Make sure that your surface is even and that any dips in the floor are filled with wood filler. Make sure that to floor is completely free of any loose dirt and dust. When you select your floor product, you will also be purchasing the underlayment for the floor, and you will need the same square footage for both the floor and the underlayment. Make sure that you get a high quality of underlayment to buffer the sound of walking on the wooden floor. If you are installing this floor on the second story of your house, a good underlayment is especially important. You can buy underlayment in rolls or in squares, and it is very easy to install. It does not require any gluing or nailing, instead you simply lay it on the floor before you install your wood flooring.
Installation When you lay your flooring you want to start in one corner of the room, and then leave a 3/8 inch gap around the edge of the room to allow for expansion and contraction of the wood. The best way to do this is to use spacers to set your first plank of floorboard. Generally hardwood floors are designed in a tongue and groove design, and when you lay your first plank, you will want the tongue side of the plank facing outward. Then drive the nail on a diagonal through the tongue of the plank. Continue with each row in the same manner, trimming when you reach the wall. Never install a portion of plank that is less than six inches, and always stagger the ends of your planks for a natural flowing pattern on your floor. As you work across the floor continuing to nail each row in place. As you nail the row in place, make sure to nail on an angle so the finish nail pierces the tongue portion of the neighboring row of planks. The last row may need to be trimmed, or ripped, to fit in the remaining space between the last row and the wall. Remember to allow 3/8 inch again for expansion and contraction of the floor.
Obstacles If you have any obstructions like pillars or vents in the floor, make sure that you mark and cut the planks to fit around these obstacles. As you are installing your flooring around vents, make sure that you can still remove the vent for cleaning.
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