Do It Yourself Hardwood Floor Installation
If you would like to add a traditional feel and an austere beauty to your home then hardwood floor installation is the perfect choice for you. It is suitable for practically any room of the house, that is except for the bathroom as too much moisture can cause wood to warp over time. This article will fill you in on the basics of installing hardwood floors so you will be able to perform this do it yourself job without the assistance of a professional.
The first step to install hardwood floors is to make sure everything is prepared. You will need a clean, clear base in order to place the new floor on for one thing. Also, it is a good idea to keep your new floor in the home for a day or two in order to get it used to the amount of humidity you typically have in your home. You should install your new floor perpendicular to the floor joists, so these must be prepared ahead of time as well.
You should begin installing hardwood floors by covering the subfloor with a thin layer of asphalt felt and use a staple gun in order to keep it in place. In order to make sure that your center line is right, measure the room beforehand and place a chalk line where you will be placing the support members. You should place your first row of flooring roughly a half an inch away from the starting wall, so be sure to mark this off with a chalk line as well. This gap is also important because it will give you some extra room to work with if you need to expand.
The next step you need to take to install hardwood floor is to take the longest boards you have available and drill the first two rows in by hand. This is accomplished by first drilling in pilot holes at 45 to 50 degree angle. Beginning with the second row and continuing until you finish, place a new piece of flooring along the edge and use a mallet to hammer it into place. While doing this, remember that the end joints should not line up over a joint in the subfloor.
When you are nearing the end of the hardwood floor installation process, you can use a wedge and a pry bar in order to secure the final boards into position. If your new floor will cause a difference in height from that of the neighboring room, this can be fixed by adding a transition strip. As you can see, the whole hardwood floor installation process can be time consuming, but may not be as difficult as you originally thought.
Sometimes it is still a good idea to seek the assistance of someone who has performed this kind of work before though you can help walk you through it.
