Hardwood Flooring Installation Tips
You have decided it is time to upgrade your home, and you are installing new flooring. This simple change will make a large difference in the look and feel of your home. Since it is your home, you have also decided that you, and maybe your significant other or family, are going to install it yourself because, really, it looks easy. It doesn’t have to be daunting nor does it mean you will be living in a construction zone for weeks because there are tips and tricks to make installing a hardwood floor yourself quick and easy.
Timing
If you are doing more renovations than just new flooring in your home, it is generally recommended that flooring should the last item to be installed, since floors are prone to damage during construction. If flooring is the only renovation you are completing at this time, then timing more than likely is not an issue in your case.
Preparing the Floor
Just like when building a house, a great foundation is essential in ensuring your installation results in a beautiful floor that lasts for many years. A new floor, for best results, should be installed over a flat, clean, smooth surface. This surface could be a plywood subfloor, concrete slab (moisture sealed) or even an existing floor that is in decent condition and is level. The benefit to installing over an existing floor is that you will not need to go through the task of taking out the floor, and the old floor acts as an additional sound barrier. Only use a floating floor system when installing over an existing floor.
Adjusting to Your Home
Solid wood floors – unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer – need to adjust to the heat and humidity in your home before they are installed. When the flooring is delivered to your home it should be stacked, without the packaging, in the room it will be installed in for several days where the temperature is set at normal levels for the home.
Floor Layout
Before you really start installing the floor it is best to make a plan and pre-lay the boards – without securing them – so you have an idea of how it will look, and you can change it before anything is in place. It is also advisable to make sure the walls run parallel to each other because if they are not your floor will appear off.