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How to install Hardwood floors |
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Wood-Floor in the living room
Any flooring project begins with how to make the right decision to have a new floor. Then you go shop around for the kind of floor that you want. You might have probably selected the type of finish you desire also. Once all materials are delivered to your home, the next logical step is installing the floor.
Installing a hardwood floor needs some preparation.
Before the actual installation of the floor, it is suggested that the wood being used for new installation will rest” Before the actual installation in the room where the wood flooring will be installed. This allows the wood to expand and contract based on the humidity of the room.
There are four hardwood floor installation methods from which to choose from, the first is nail down. Nails are used to fasten the wood to the sub floor. This method is often used with thin wood flooring. The second is the staple down. This method is similar to nail down but instead of nails you use staples. This method is much simpler than the nail down method. The third method is the glue down. The wood is glued down to the sub floor with a strong adhesive. This method is most effective with the engineered wood floors and parquets. The last method which is the fastest and easiest method is floating. Floating floors are not glued or nailed down to the sub floor, they simply float above it. Adhesive is not applied to the boards to keep them together. They simply snap together. However, a pad is placed between the floating floor and the sub floor to protect against moisture and reduce noise. These kinds of floors can be installed over almost any surface.
When installing the actual hardwood floor, there are some guidelines you want to keep in mind.
First, chalk the placement of the boards. Keep a distance of 1/8th to 1/4th inch between the board and the wall, to leave room for wood expansion. You may want to insert a scrap piece of Luann or any thin piece of wood as a spacer. Space is important for the wood to expand.
Second, start laying out the longest straightest wood boards with the longest straight parts of the room where the wood does not need to be cut. This will give the room a straight feel instead of a crooked slanting look. In the remaining areas of the room you may cut the boards and place them as required within the spaces.
Third, using the installation method you have chosen, you can now fix the hardwood floor to the sub floor.
Drill the nails into the boards to fix them in firmly place. This keeps the first few boards straight and correctly in place while you install the other pieces like a jigsaw puzzle. This step is very important because the long boards the technically the foundation and guide for the succeeding floor boards.
Racking boards can be used to stagger boards and to eliminate the imperfect pieces. Boards with defects can be hidden by placing them near the walls.
Once all boards are correctly in place, you may start nailing and stapling the boards to the sub-floor. Nails should be 8 - 10 inches apart. During nailing, check whether the boards are nailed straight and perpendicular to the wall surface.
With a little patience and a lot of hard work, you can now have a beautiful new hardwood floor. |
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