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Wood Flooring Installation
A Quality Wood Floor Installation Starts
with a Solid Subfloor Surface
By Mark J. Donovan
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The three most commonly used wood flooring
installation methods are nailed/stapled, glued and
floating. Nailed/stapled wood floor installation
is typically used for solid or engineered wood
flooring products. Glued wood floor installation
is reserved for certain engineered flooring
products, and the floating method is used on
engineered wood floor products.
Besides its natural beauty and durability wood
flooring also reduces allergy symptoms compared to
carpeting. Wood flooring is ideal for almost
anywhere in the home.
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It can even be used in
traditionally moist rooms such as in bathrooms and kitchens if it is given a
strong finish and is regularly maintained. Wood flooring installation even
in the basement is possible with the use of vapor barriers and the
construction of a wood subfloor over the concrete slab.
Wood floor installation requires some significant skill to obtain a
professional job that will hold up over time and climate conditions within
the home.
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Historically wood flooring was
installed in strip or plank pieces and then sanded and finished. This method
of wood floor installation still goes on today, however there are other
options now available to homeowners and wood flooring installation
contractors.
Prefinished wood flooring
products are available on the market today that eliminates the need for
sanding and finishing. Prefinished wood flooring products come similarly in
strip or plank pieces, however each piece has a finished surface. Similarly
there are engineered wood floor products available today in panel sections
that also do not required sanding and finishing.
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If you plan on tackling your own wood
floor installation project consider using prefinished wood flooring products,
particularly if you are installing a wood floor in an existing finished home.
Sanding wood floors is extremely dusty and noisy work. It also requires the
proper sanding tools, such as a drum sander, and if used improperly can gouge
and scratch the wood floor. Also, applying stain and the appropriate coats of
polyurethane sealers takes time, smells bad, and requires a little artwork. The
last thing you want to do is install a hardwood floor and then put on a stain
and sealer that leaves you with some odd color that you did not expect.
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Wood Floor
Installation Tips
Wood floor installation requires a
properly prepared subfloor that has little to no deflection, and is smooth and
level.
Prior to any wood floor installation project the wood flooring material should
be placed in the room that it is to be installed in for at least 72 hours.
Allowing the wood flooring to acclimate to the temperature and moisture level in
the room helps to ensure an easier installation and prevent cracks and ridges
from showing up in the wood floor down the road.
When installing wood flooring always install it using the proper wood floor
installation method recommended by the flooring manufacture. Also, always
install wood flooring perpendicular to the floor joists so that the wood floor
is nailed securely into the floor joists. Fastening a wood floor to simply the
subfloor sheathing is a recipe for a wood floor installation disaster.
Mark the floor joist locations on the
adjacent walls for a reference.
Next, apply a layer of 15 lb felt paper on the subfloor to act as a moisture
barrier and to reduce potential squeaks.
Then mark a centerline on the felt paper covered subfloor using a chalk line and
tape measure. This task will tell how square the room is.
If the room is out of square, position the tongue side of the first piece of
wood flooring parallel to your center line and then mark and rip the groove side
of the wood floor plank so that it is parallel with the wall. To finely rip
plank wood floor pieces you will need a table saw with a fence. For end cuts use
a miter saw or circular saw with a fine tooth blade (many teeth per inch).
When installing wood floor planks or strips, it is best to layout out several
rows at a time and to stagger them so that joints are at least 6 to 8 inches
apart. Always install pieces that are at least 10 inches in length and leave a ½
inch gap at the wall edge for expansion. Leaving the gap at the wall edge will
allow the wood floor to expand freely which will prevent ridging and buckling as
the wood floor swells an during moist climate conditions.
When the wood flooring installation method involves blind nailing, such as is
the case when installing a wood plank or strips, make sure to use a nail punch
to sink the nails versus using a hammer. Attempting to use a hammer to flush
nail will lead to dents and dings in the finished wood floor surface.
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