Several years ago, most homes had hardwood floors. The floors were durable and relatively inexpensive. As carpet prices came down, however, many homeowners rushed to install wall-to-wall carpeting. Today some homeowners are trying to return to floors with a more traditional look, and although some laminate floors come close, nothing quite matches the look and feel of hardwood. Materials:
hammer
finish nails
measuring tape
masking tape
hardwood flooring glue
notched trowel
hardwood floor strips
tapping block
1/4" lauan (pronounced loo'-ahn) plywood underlayment
pneumatic stapler (you can rent this tool)
safety glasses
Steps:
* Hardwood floors should not be installed in rooms that are below grade (below the ground). These areas are at greater risk of moisture damage.
* Hardwood floors should only be installed over solid, sturdy surfaces. If you 're unsure about installing hardwood over your existing floors, check with the hardwood floor manufacturer.
- Start by measuring the square footage of the area where you plan to install the floor. Add 5 percent to the amount to make up for scratched wood and cutting errors. You might even want to draw a diagram of the area; the folks at your local home center can use it to help you determine how much material to buy.
- When you get the flooring strips home, open the packages and let them acclimate to the temperature and humidity of your home for at least 72 hours.
- Remove all of the furniture and appliances from the room you'll be working in. Make sure that stationary appliances such as your dishwasher will have enough clearance to be removed later if necessary. If you have gas appliances, contact a licensed plumber about disconnecting them.
- Carefully remove the shoe molding from around the room; you may be able to reuse it after your floor is finished. Remove any doorway thresholds. You may also need to cut away a portion of the bottom of the doorjambs.
- Measure and cut 1/4" plywood to use as underlayment on the floor, and attach it to the floor with staples or nails. A pneumatic stapler can make this job go much more quickly. Be sure to stagger the joints and seams so you don't have four corners meeting in the same place. Countersink the fasteners to make sure they don't interfere with the hardwood. If you're installing the hardwood over concrete, you'll probably need a vapor barrier on top of the underlayment.
- Inspect your flooring strips. Some may have gouges, scratches or broken areas. Be sure to check the tongue of each board; if it's damaged it won't join properly with other boards.
- Measure and mark a spot 12 inches from the left and right side of the wall where you plan to start. Then snap a chalk line between the two marks.
- Dry-fit a set of strips starting at the chalk line and moving toward the closest wall. Slide the strips forward or backward so that there's a 1/2-inch expansion gap between the last strip and the wall. Draw a line along the edge of the strips facing into the room to use as a new starting point.
- Vacuum the floor to remove as much dust and debris as possible.
- Nail some support boards (you can use scrap floor strips) along the starting line on the side closest to the wall. You'll be installing the floor planks toward the middle of the room, and these boards will provide support when you need to tap the floor planks tighter.
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