Learning About Hardwood Flooring

There is much to learn about hardwood flooring, especially if you are planning to have it installed in your home. You don’t even need a professional to get the job done for you, you can do it all yourself, but there are a few steps that you are going to need to follow in order to ensure that the job gets done right.

Subfloor

The subfloor is the first thing that you are going to need to be concerned with when it comes to installing hardwood flooring. You want to cover the subfloor with a layer of 15-pound asphalt felt and overlap the seams by about 3 inches. Make sure that you tack this down with a staple gun, so that the wood flooring will have an even base.

Now you need to measure the room’s width at two or more points in order to establish an accurate centerline. The best idea, if you want the best results with your hardwood flooring, is to measure twice, or even three times, to ensure that you have the most accurate measurements.

The next step in the process of installing your hardwood flooring is to indicate the edge of the first row of flooring. This will help you keep track and ensure that the boards are going in straight. You want to choose the longest boards or widest planks for the first row, and then near the wall you want to drill pilot holes for 1 ½-inch finishing nails.

Next you want to put the nails in, and start installing the second row of hardwood flooring, and then continue on after this.

Remember that end joints in two adjacent rows should never be closer than 6 inches. Also, the larger area you are working with the more difficult the process is going to be, and so you may want to ask one of your friends or family members to join in with you and help you do the work.

One of the most important tips to remember is that if you can see that your new floor is going to be causing a change of level to a hallway or adjoining room because it is lower or higher than the adjoining floor, you are going to want to make a change to this. The last thing you want is to have someone walking through your home end up tripping or losing step because of the change of level on the floor.