It’s time to rip out and get rid of that old, worn-out rug. You can install hardwood floors with just a few tools and I am eager to instruct anyone who is willing to get their hands a little dirty and sweat a lot. Prefinished hardwood flooring has come a long way since it first caught my eye many years ago.

Finished flooring is faster and less labor intensive than unfinished flooring and does not create as much dust in the installation process as unfinished flooring requires sanding. Unfinished hardwood floors are best when installed in a newly built home. If your home only has carpet to boot, it’s a much faster and cleaner job for everyone involved to use prefinished flooring.

There are many species of wood to choose from and a wide variety of colors and finishes to look at before making your final decision. Once you have made all the decisions, it is time to measure all the areas where you want to install your flooring. Just a quick reminder: If you’re a newbie, I definitely recommend ordering 25% to 30% more than your total square footage measurement. This would be the time to investigate renting a basic flooring tool from a tool supply store or flooring store. Ask your flooring supplier for a list of other tools needed to complete your job. They are usually more than willing to help you.

Here are some steps to consider before your flooring arrives in your home: Decide which areas you want to do first, where the furniture should go so it’s out of the way, where in the house the flooring will go. when it arrives so it can acclimate for about 4-5 days, check all existing subfloors that need to be replaced or need to be nailed or screwed to stop squeaks or movement, sweep and vacuum all floors to remove debris that could interfere with installation

Once clean, lay down rosin paper and get ready to begin the installation process for your new flooring. Installing prefinished strip flooring is not difficult, but it does require some advance preparation to produce the best result. Start by laying (breaking) a chalk line in the subfloor to begin the first step to start a first straight line of flooring. Determine the direction of the floor joists and, starting at one wall, lay the strip flooring in the direction across the floor joists.

The first row of flooring requires the strips to be nailed face to face. Once the first row is straight and firmly nailed down, you’re ready to lay the flooring in rows in front of you at random lengths, always trying to avoid bent, bowed, or damaged pieces of flooring. Each subsequent row will be nailed to the leading edge, also known as the tongue, about every 6 to 8 inches apart. Cutting to length should be done only at the end of the run and the ends of all rows should not line up with any previous row.

Article by: Richard Willis