Hardwood Floor Installation

How to Easily Install A Hardwood Floor

If you plan to install hardwood floors, you can hire a hardwood floor contractor or do it yourself. Some people think that because hardwood floors are a sensitive and expensive material, they should seek the help of a hardwood floor contractor to get them installed.  Of course that is the best idea if you want to ensure yourself of getting the best installation and without damage to your new hardwood flooring. But if you are at all handy with tools and hardwood materials and careful then you might want to try installing them yourself.  Find a Tile/Flooring Contractor

So with the right tools and the right kind of hardwood you can make it a do it yourself project. And prefinished hardwood floor planks are readily available in hardware stores along with instructional manuals.

So how do you install hardwood flooring? First, you need to decide whether or not you want to use oak, maple or cherry, or rustic ash. Oak is the most expensive kind of hardwood material, but it is usually the best and the most sturdiest. If you're looking for a lower cost hardwood floor then maple or rustic ash are also good and will last as long as oak with the proper care and maintenance.

The next thing to do is to gather the following materials: the hardwood planks, a vapor barrier paper, a pry bar, a hammer, a speed drill and drill bits, a pneumatic flooring pack (which consists of a nail gun, staples, a mallet, a hose, and an air compressor), a staple gun, a tape measure, a chalk line, and, the how-to- do-it manual.

Make sure to study the manual all the way through before you start. Some hardware stores already have prepackaged hardwood installation packs so you can save time by not having to look for each piece.

Make sure to use dust masks, safety goggles and gloves, as all the drilling and hammering could produce wood dust and that be harmful when inhaled and cause sinus or respiratory issues.

Before buying your hardwood floor planks, measure the surface where you plan to install them. Order planks that are about 10 to 15 inches bigger to allow room for any errors. Expect that your initial attempt will be challenging, but once you figure out how to get the first plank in place, the rest should be easy.

Get rid of any squeaks by tightly nailing the hardwood plank into the subfloor. When cutting, always provide for extra space. When you're working with hardwood floors, it's best to go over and make the necessary adjustments than to be left with a space that would be hard to fill.

If you  bought a prefinished hardwood floor, then the job should be done after you've installed the planks in place. But if you bought wood in its pure form, make sure to pre-equip yourself with sanding and finishing tools and prepare for the sand and finish the project.

Well this all sounds easy enough, doing it may be a little or a lot harder depending on your experience working with tools.  Many times it's better to hire a hardwood floor contractor to take care of the whole process for you.  You can call around or easily go online to get several bids on your hardwood floor project. Find a Tile/Flooring Contractor