How to Install Hardwood Flooring? (Simple Guide)

Incorporating hardwood flooring into your house may be a stunning design choice. Hardwood floor installation is a major DIY undertaking, but an experienced do-it-yourselfer can do it.

How to Install Hardwood Flooring? With glue and prefabricated wood planks, you may lay hardwood flooring. You can install click-lock or tongue-and-groove hardwoods on cement, tile, or radiant-heat floors. Nail-down hardwood flooring installation is another option.

Video: How To Install Hardwood Flooring (For Beginners!)

Hardwood Flooring articles Measure For Hardwood Flooring

Follow these six steps to learn how to lay wood flooring.

Step 1: Get the Area Ready

The straightest planks, with the tongue side towards the middle of the room, are what you want for your first row. Insert spacers between the wall and the floor where the wood can expand due to heat and humidity. Drill pilot holes for the nails 1/2 inch from the wall and 1/4 inch from the narrow side of the plank. Along the length of each board, keep going at 6-inch intervals.

Step 2 Countersink the Nails

Face-nail the initial few boards because the pneumatic nailer is challenging to handle close to the wall. Use a nail punch to countersink the nails, then fill the remaining hole with coordinating putty. After that, blind-nail through the tongue at a 45-degree angle. Ensure that the nail is countersunk to prevent interference with the board-to-board connection.

Step 3: Install and secure the boards.

Lock the tongue and groove on the second row, then tap the boards together using a block and a hammer. Create a more robust, appealing flooring pattern by staggering the ends of adjacent boards by at least 6 inches and trimming the end board if necessary.

Step 4: Use a flooring nailer 

Repeat the process until you can use the flooring nailer, then blind-nail the second row through the tongue. The flooring nailer can only be utilized once two to four rows have been installed because it needs space to operate. Install the protective boot on the nailer before using it to safeguard the flooring.

Step 5: Finishing the hardwood floor installation

Return to hand-nailing the last few rows once you’ve finished. Measure the distance from the wall to the board (not the tongue) on the last row and subtract the expansion gap before cutting the pieces to fit.

Apply wood glue to the tongue and groove if the finished piece is 1 inch broad or minor. After that, install the component while protecting the wall with a scrap piece of wood and a pry bar. If the finished piece is more comprehensive than an inch, face-nail it, countersink the hole, and fill it with putty that matches the piece.

Step 6: Install the Transition Pieces

Remove the spacers before installing the transition pieces by the manufacturer’s instructions. Then, reattach the baseboards and shoe molding to the wall, not the floor, and cut the underlayment.

Engineered wood flooring installation

Engineered wood flooring is attractive and long-lasting, with several different installation options. Even though some materials are made for the glue-down installation, frequently employed for laying flooring over a concrete slab, this is usually a contractor’s work. The other two standard installation techniques are easier for do-it-yourselfers.

Engineered hardwood installations: Floating vs. Nail-Down

Like traditional hardwood flooring, engineered flooring includes tongue-and-groove edges for nail-down (non-floating) installation. Glue-down treatments can be employed with the majority of kinds.

Although the flooring planks are not nailed down, the installation method for a floating floor is quite similar to that of a nail-down floor.

The engineered wood planks are connected with unique interlocking joints in this installation technique to form a single, continuous layer that “floats” over the flooring.

Installing Hardwood Floors: A Guide

In just one day, you can transform from subfloor to stunning. To install hardwood flooring in your home, follow this guide.

Hardwood floors are elegant, durable, and simple to install. You may go from subfloor to breath-taking in as little as a day without special tools. Let’s review a few fundamentals before beginning the hardwood floor installation process.

Laminate versus hardwood flooring

Solid wood from the tree is what makes hardwood flooring. Oak, walnut, and hickory are the three most preferred kinds of wood. However, maple and cherry are also in demand.

Hardwood floor refinishing techniques

The layers of laminate “wood” flooring—an underlayment, a composite wood-fiber core, a high-resolution woodgrain image, and a transparent protective sealant that resists scratches and fading—are fused to mimic natural wood.

Although laminate flooring has improved dramatically in strength and aesthetics, it is not solid wood and is not put in the same way.

Installation advice for hardwood floors:

Installing hardwood flooring over 34-inch plywood on or above grade, never directly on concrete, is recommended.

Always adhere to the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Multiply the length by the breadth of the room to get the square footage, then add 10% for waste and damaged boards to get the amount of flooring you’ll need.

Install hardwood floors parallel to the longest wall and perpendicular to the floor joists, providing a 34-inch expansion gap all around.

When possible, attach the ends of the boards over a floor joist, avoiding joints that create an H. Joints that line up should be spaced at least two rows apart.

Determine the width of the final row before you begin. For example, half the initial row’s width if it is less than an inch.

Tools and Resources

According to Tony Pastrana, installation systems developer at Armstrong Flooring, “You may need different tools and materials depending on the sort of hardwood flooring you’re installing.” Consult the installation instructions that came with your flooring to see whether you’ll need a pneumatic flooring nailer, drill and drill bits, hammer, nails, a pry bar, or a saw.

A Budget-Friendly DIY Guide to Installing Hardwood Floors

Hardwood flooring is undoubtedly the most sought-after option among house owners. Hardwood flooring makes a statement in every space because it is stylish, strong, and breathable. However, you can leave hardwood flooring at the bottom of your list of home improvement projects after taking a quick look at the expenses of expert installation.

It’s time to take the nail gun into your own hands if you’re sick of letting installation costs frighten you away from the gleaming, hardwood floors of your dreams. Continue reading to learn how to purchase and install hardwood floors on a budget using do-it-yourself methods.

FAQS

Can I set up my own hardwood floors?

It is possible to install factory-finished floors right out of the box. These developments have made installing a hardwood floor simpler than ever. Hiring a professional to install your flooring will save you much time.

Are there any items placed beneath hardwood floors?

Even though the underlayment isn’t always required for hardwood floors, it has advantages. The improved stability and durability of underlayment are two of the most important reasons to install it. Your floor is supported by underlayment, which also helps to minimize subfloor defects.

Which is preferable, gluing or nailing hardwood flooring?

If your subfloor is made of wood, you can use either installation technique; if it’s concrete, you should glue your hardwood down. However, if you intend to attach your hardwood floor to joists, you will need to fasten them covertly.