Hardwood Flooring Installation Adds Beauty and Value to Your Home

Hardwood flooring installation can add beauty and value to your home. Hardwood flooring is known to be long lasting. Homes over 100 years in age may still have hardwood flooring intact. Even if it has been abused, refinishing can restore the warm glow to hardwood flooring.

Hardwood flooring installation can be a difficult task and is not recommended for inexperienced do it yourselves. Many homeowners even prefer to have refinishing work done by professionals.

In order to begin, mark the location of floor joists on the walls that run perpendicular to the joists.

Hardwood floors should be installed over a sturdy subfloor covered in felt. The felt should overlap at least 3 inches at all seams and be held into place with staples.

Measure the room to find the center. Snap a chalk-line at the center parallel to the wall where you intend to start. Also snap chalk-lines connecting the joist lines.

Measure from the center line and mark a parallel line 1/2 inch form the wall where you plan to begin. This gap will allow for expansion but is not seen as it will be covered with base molding. Without the gap, your flooring may buckle during times of high humidity, so it is important to remember this safeguard.

To attach the first and last row you will be nailing through the face of the board at a 90-degree angle. The base molding will also conceal these nails. Pre drill all nail holes before nailing. This will make it less likely that nails will bend or that boards will split. Nail boards every ten inches and at floor joists. All nails should be set using a nail set.

Place boards for the second row in place and use a scrap piece of flooring and mallet to tap into place. Make sure that there is more than six inches between the ends adjacent boards. Nails for these boards should be at a 45 degree angle through the tongue. Spacing for the nails is again every ten inches or at each floor joist. Use 1 1/2 inch finishing nails. Be sure to set these nails for proper fit of the next board.

If you are using wide plank flooring, you may need to leave the width of a putty knife between each board for expansion. Be sure to read any instructions that come with your flooring.

When installing flooring over a large area, you may want to rent a flooring nailer. The flooring nailer will help you to quickly install the flooring. A rubber mallet hits the plunger and drives up to a two inch nail or staple into the board. The flooring nailer will help to lower your fatigue from the installation process and you will find it well worth the cost.

The final row will require a pry bar and block for hardwood flooring installation. After all boards are installed, you will need to sand and finish the flooring. The wall molding is the final step to cover the expansion gaps and give a professional appearance to your new flooring.