Tips for Hardwood Floor Installation

If you are considering a hardwood floor installation for one or more rooms of your home, there are some basic tips that will help the process go smoother. Hardware floors are a great choice for almost any room in your home, and all they take is some regular maintenance so that they stay great looking for years to come. Although some people think that wood floors are not appropriate for rooms such as the bathroom, where there is a lot of moisture, as long as the floors have a protective finish that is regularly maintained, hardwood floors are great for even these types of rooms. Make sure you have the right setup and plan for a floor installation before getting started.

Fortunately, hardwood floors can be installed over almost any type of surface. Of course, a hardwood floor installation over concrete will require a moisture barrier, but other than that restriction, these types of floors can be installed either below or above grade, and over plywood subfloors, concrete slabs, or existing wood floors. If you currently have a subfloor made from engineered wood, you will want to make sure it is securely nailed or preferably screwed in place prior to the hardwood floor installation. You will also want to pay attention to any recommendations from the flooring manufacturer in regards to an underlayment for the hardwood flooring. The subfloor should also be level and smooth.

There are a number of methods you can use for an effective hardwood floors installation. These include using a specialized board nailer, a stapler, or even a simple hammer. Of course, if the manufacturer specifies an underlayment, this should be put down first. You might also be face nailing the boards, nailing them in the tongue of the board, or utilizing glue to attach them to each other. Whichever method you choose, you will start by determining the focal point of the room, which is where you will begin the hardwood floor installation. If you are using a decorative border around the floor, you will want to start that at the focal point of the room. To keep the boards straight, you should use snap a chalk line to use as a reference point for laying the first board. By properly aligning this first board, you will be sure that the rest of the rows will also be straight.

Hardwood flooring boards often come in random lengths to create an attractive hardwood appearance. You should always test fit the boards in sections before attaching them. Make sure to stagger the meeting points of the boards, so that all joints are at least 12 inches from each other. When using tongue and groove boards, you are able to blind nail them on the tongue of each board, so that the fasteners are covered by the subsequently board that is installed in the next row. If you are not using tongue and groove boards, you will probably be face nailing them through the top surface of the boards. You might also be using a gluing technique for installing the boards, or an adhesive strip method of installation.