Durable and practical than most other types of flooring. Hardwood floors can add character and sheen to your home and give it a touch of beauty.
Easier than rocket science hardwood floors can be installed on your own. All you need to do is follow some steps on how to install hardwood flooring
You will need to prep your subfloor to be ready for falling down the hard floors. You will need to consider things like door jambs. You might either want to go underneath the molding or cut it to go around.
Before the installation, you will have to let the wood acclimatize to the moisture level. And also the surroundings of your home. Let it sit in the room in which it has to be installed for at least 3 days. Spring or fall would be an ideal time for the installation. As it would be mild and very adaptable.
Quite a few tools and supplies will be required to get this project done. You might be able to rent the larger pieces from your local hardware store. Other smaller pieces such as nails will need to be purchased.
Lay down the first board. Make sure to leave a small gap at the wall for expansion. Place in line with the room. Place spacers in the gaps for uniformity. Markers can be placed by finding the center of each wall. Mark a line between them thus creating a cross at the center of the room. The point at which these lines meet with the wall mark the expansion distance. Draw line at that point which should be perpendicular to the centerline.
Using a drill makes guide holes and then hammer the board into the sub-flow. With nails placed 1-3″ from the end of the plank. Also half-inch from the groove side, and every six inches down the board.
When the first row is done place the next board. In such a manner that the tongue of the first fits into the groove just like a jigsaw puzzle. You will want to place the board so that they are offset. Beginning 6 inches or so from the ending of the previous board. To create a tight seam and to bind the boards together using a mallet and a tapping block. Finish kneeling 3 doors down.
Don’t forget to cut boards to size. Since you are nailing the boards down in such a manner you will need to cut boards. In order to fit into the gaps at the end. Measure the required distance. Keep the expansion gap in mind cut it using a saw. Start using the flooring nailer, once you have enough space. All you need to do is align it with the board to be nailed in and hit it.
Hammer for the last few rows. Running out of room to use the flooring nailer is inevitable. So in this case hammer the remaining rows similarly to how you did the first ones.
Trimming the board the size. It does not have to be a perfect fit. You will have to cut the board so that it is narrow enough to fit. Carefully measure using a circular saw to trim the board to size. Since the space is very limited to use a mallet. You could use a crowbar instead to wedge them into place. Now for the finishing.
Baseboards are placed at the bottom of the wall where it meets the floor. The type of baseboard you choose completely depends on you. Based on the design of the room. Baseboards are also known as wall skirting.
Wherever your floor does not meet up with your walls such as doorways and sections of the room. Adding trims and transitions with floor covering is considered. It is a very simple process. They should be cut and installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Holes created by the nails can be covered with a nail putty if you wish to. Holes do tend to collect dirt dust and undesirable material around them. So this could be a good idea. To help the putty blend in make sure you use the party in the color of the wood. This would bring out a good finishing look too.
