How to Install Hardwood Flooring: An Easy Guide - Hardwood Flooring

Once it has been decided to install a hardwood floor in a home, there are a few preliminary steps necessary before installation.

First choose the hardwood to be used. The factors to consider when choosing hardwood are: pattern, species of wood, layout, pre-finished vs. unfinished, and solid vs. engineered. When deciding on a pattern, consider the direction of the sub-floor joists, as the wood flooring should be installed in the opposite direction. A decorative pattern may also be considered as a border or in the center of a room.

The species of wood determines the color and the grade of the wood. Cost is a major consideration in determining the species of wood. Oak is the most popular species of wood used due to its low cost with continued durability. Cheaper woods such as pine and bamboo may not be durable enough in some areas, and harder woods such as maple and cherry are more durable, but also significantly more expensive.

The layout of the hardwood is a similar discussion as with the pattern, but more thought can be put into the artistic, or decorative, nature of the planks of wood. Different grades of woods can be used to develop patterns in alternating plans throughout a room. Medallions or inlays can be used near focal points in a room, or a whole room may even be done diagonally for a more dramatic look.

Pre-finished flooring is certainly more durable, but a customer can expect fewer options in regard to grade and species than if they were to choose unfinished flooring and then treat the flooring after installation with polyurethane.

Engineered wood, not to be confused with laminate flooring, is actual hardwood attached to plywood; this may be advantageous in some conditions such as high humidity areas.

The first step before laying a hardwood floor is to remove the carpet from the room including the old staples. It is best to also remove doorjambs. It may be necessary to lay down a sub-floor before beginning if there are too many gaps in the current floor. Red rosin paper is laid down and stapled on top of the sub-floor; points should be chosen for the baseline and marked onto this paper. A straight line can be drawn to join the points using a straight edge. Draw the line about 3/8 of an inch away from the baseboard to allow for expanding wood in the more humid months of the year.

Using the longest straight wall, place the end of the board at the baseline mark that was drawn and nail it down with a hammer and one nail. After this first board, a pneumatic stapler may be used, and each board can be fitted together and stapled to the floor. It is important to set the nail gun carefully so as not to go too deeply into the floor and damage the wood. As you lay the next piece of wood, end-to-end with the first, use a rubber mallet too gently, but snugly, hammer the two pieces of wood together. A tight fit is important to the durability and beauty of the floor. The last piece of wood will need to be cut to fit properly. A carpenters crayon can be used to measure where the piece will need to be cut, and a circular saw will finish the job nicely.