How do you install wood flooring?

Answer 1

Answer oak flooringTraditional 3/4" thick oak flooring is laid opposite direction of the floor joist. Make sure the room is relativly square. Start with the groove side against the wall, leaving a 3/4" inch gap between the wall and the first piece for expantion. 3/4" inch plywood underlayment strips work for this. Nail down at an angle through the tongue approx. 4/5 degree angle. run about 4-5 feet of flooring, staggering each row back several inches and take 4-5 rows across at a time. Finish one 5 count row the length of the room and repeat till done. The entire floor then needs to be sanded till smooth and probably 3 coats of finish, usually polyurethane although older floors are covered with shelac. There is a tool available that drives the boards together and then nails it at the right angle. Saves a lot of time and wear on the knees. Not usually a job for a beginner, but can be done. The thin laminete flooring snaps together and just about anyone can do it.

Answer 2

There are many types of hardwood flooring, allowing for many possible installation methods. The most common is 3/4" solid hardwood. Before starting your installation a few things must be looked at. * Your floor is at least 3/4" plywood, OSB, or wood plank. It cannot be installed over particle board or a wood subfloor with a cement substrate that is closer than 24" from its bottom. * You must be installing at or above grade * Floor joist need to be 16" on center or closer * Level within an 1/8" in a 6' radius * Wood flooring is not recommended for bathrooms or other high moisture areas such as laundry rooms. Once you are sure your projects are within these guidelines you are ready to continue. * When purchasing flooring, you will need to add at least 5% waste to the total square footage. Also these floors are natural products and may have boards with small variations you will want to not lay. * All rooms need to be completed with doors and windows. All floors, paint, plaster, drywall, and wall coverings are completely dry as to not raise the humidity level of the room. * Heat and ventilation systems must be fully functional and room temperature 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and at 35% to 55% humidity. * The floor will need to be in the room to be installed, unopened, for 3 days prior to installation allowing it to acclimate to your rooms humidity. * Have your substrate checked for any moisture problems. The tools needed are not easily available to do it yourselfer's. You will also want to have the following supplies. * Tape measure * Chalk line * Broom * Rubber mallet * Pencil * Jam and band saw * Crow bar or plank puller * Hammer * Knee pads * Pneumatic floor nailer and corresponding nails Some manufactures require or recommend roofing felt or red rosin paper. You will want to lay this in advance if they do. Check to make sure if your room is square. It is not uncommon for a wall that is 10' wide to be 10'2 at the other end. By compensating for this at the beginning your boards will still look straight on the other side. Starting your boards counter to your floor joists you will be leaving at least 1/2" expansion gap from the wall. This will allow your floor to expand and contract with the different seasons of the year. The first few rows will be pre drilled and faced nailed into place. The nailer cannot fit that close to the wall. Later wood filler and light sanding will cover the holes. You will want to work from several boxes and "dry lay" the floor. Solid floors are normally random plank sizes, so you will want to have a good mix of sizes. This also allows you to mix natural color variations throughout the floor. You will need to make sure no board is smaller then 8" and that a seam does not meet closer then 6" within 3 boards in each direction. This is for both stability and aesthetics of your floor. Using the pneumatic nailer, begin laying the floor you have already laid out. Working your way down the boards, use the rubber mallet to tap the boards together. You will want to nail ever 8 to 10 inches with a minimum of 2 fasteners per board. At the ends of a row you will cut the board, but the remainder can be used to start another row later cutting down waste. At the end of a wall you will again pre drill and face nail the last few rows. You may need to use a crow bar to get the last row to pull together. The 1/2" to 3/4" expansion spaces will be covered with 3/4" quarter round or wallbase. Clean the floor well with an alcohol based cleaner. Remember to NEVER use water on your wood floor. Affix felt pads to the bottom of all your chairs and furniture to protect it from scratches.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

It is a fairly complicated process and unless you are familiar with power tools and general carpentry work it may be best to leave it to the professionals.

First, the floor must be installed on a flat sub-floor, uneveness over 1/4" over a six foot radius should be corrected before installing the floor. The floor should also be installed with a minimum 1/4" expansion gap left around any vertical projection (wall, pipe etc.). Installing around intricate moldings and door jambs might seem difficult, but with the use of a hand or power undercut saw you can cut and remove a portion of the molding or door jamb and slide the laminate right under the molding or jamb. Please make sure the floor still has the proper room for expansion. Also, the planks must be installed in a staggered orientation. No two end joints (the shorter sides) should line up or be within six to nine inches of one another. Installing the floor with end joints closer than six to nine inches can result in buckling of the floor after time.

After the floor is installed you install your quarter round molding and transition moldings to hide the expansion gaps and you are done. Please make sure to read the manufacturer's instructions for more specific installation requirements as they may vary from one make to another.

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It comes with instructions but as an outline, you first lay down a foam underlay. Then you simply clip the boards together remembering to stagger your cuts/joints. The boards are not fixed in any way shape or form apart from to each other.They advise you to lay the boards in line with the incoming light,ie perpendicular to the window frame. Most important is that you leave a 10-20 mm gap at all perimeters to allow for movement and expansion. This gap will be covered by your beading which you fit last. Remember as with anything, you get what you pay for. The more you spend, the better the finish you will get.

More detailed instructions:

1. Empty the room. Use a small crowbar (or hammer and chisel) to remove the existing shoe molding and rubber base under toe kick. Be careful not to damage the wall or existing base molding when removing the shoe molding. 2. If necessary, remove any flanges on radiator pipes or threshold moldings at the doorways. Vacuum and clean the floor thoroughly. 3. Lay out foam underlayment according to the manufacturer's instructions. If the flooring has a preattached underlayment, you won't need to purchase one separately and it will save time on the installation. 4. Note: Always start hardwood flooring along the most prominent and noticeable wall in the room. This way, if the room is out of square, the crooked cut will be hidden under the cabinet's toe kick. In order to keep the floor straight and square, start laying the laminate away from the wall since the wall may not be straight. Measure away from the wall the width of one piece of flooring and add 1/4 inch and snap a chalk line across the room. Line up the first run of flooring with the chalk line and everything after should then line up. Note: Remember to leave a 1/4-inch gap around the entire perimeter of the room to allow for the floor to expand and contract with weather and humidity changes. Use installation spacers to maintain this gap during installation, removing them before finishing the entire floor may allow the floor to move. 5. Begin installing laminate flooring by following the manufacturer's instructions. Use the miter saw to cut pieces to length and the jigsaw to cut around any corners or pipes. The height of the door(s) may need to be taken into account for the change in the height of the floor. 6. Cut the shoe molding to fit using the miter saw or by coping to fit. With a brad gun, nail molding to baseboard around the perimeter of the room. Countersink and fill holes with finishing putty according to manufacturer's instructions. 7. Install rubber base instead of shoe molding under toe kicks. The rubber base cuts with a utility knife and sticks to the toe kick using a peel-off adhesive or a spread adhesive. 8. Install any transition strips where new floor meets tile, carpet or other hardwood floors. Install them in any doorway by cutting to fit and nailing, gluing down, or using the manufacturers 'snap track' if one is provided.

Answer 5

If you are installing a wood floor on a concrete sub-floor, the wood floor must be installing using the floating method or the direct glue down method. Check with the manufacturer to assure that the particular floor is compatible with those methods, as not all are. If you are installing the floor over an approved wood sub-floor, the most common installation method is to staple or nail down the hardwood using a pneumatic stapler or nailer. Again, check with the manufacturer to assure those are approved methods for your particular hardwood floor.

Answer 6

It depends on the type of hardware floor you are installing. There are 3 popular types of floors.

# Nail in tongue and groove # Glue Down tongue and groove # Manufactured tongue and groove (usually 3 planks wide with fixed lengths) The first type usually is anywhere from 1/2" to 1" think. There is a special tool that sits on the tongue side and shoots nails into the tongue at an angle. You use a mallet to hit a rubber bumper on the tool to trigger it. The Nail tool is most likely going to be air powered. Start against the longest straight wall in the direction you want the hardwood to go. Lay your first piece and nail it in securely. Lay the next piece at the end of the first piece. Alternate sizes if the particular floor you are using comes in different lengths. Secure the second piece with the nail tool. Next, start your second row. Slide the groove side over the tongue side in the first row. Secure that piece with the nail tool. Keep building out a few rows and then go back to your first rows and finish them up to the end. When you reach the end, cut your last piece to size and secure it in.

The second type of floor is usually a little thinner and cheaper. You can use a V notch trowel to spread special hardwood glue on the sub floor. Spread a little bit of glue with the trowel in a small area. Give yourself enough room to work with the section too. Start against the wall and lay your first piece. Slide the groove sides over the tongue sides and continue gluing out. You may need a tapping block to tap the pieces in if the don't slide easily.

For the third type, you would also use a V notch trowel and follow the same directions for the second type of floor.

Answer 7

Depends on float floor or nailing it down if you never done it i would do a float foor u need the pad that just lays on the floor slab or plywood the the wood floor locks in place use wood glue in the joint start with the lip not the grove also never line up the line it looks better also you dont glue or nail to the floor plus the pad under the floor makes it feel better on your feet

Answer 8

You need to first Choose the Boards. Then Measure the Room, Check for a Squeaky Floor, Roll Out the Vapor Barrier Paper, Start Installation. Then you can, Place the Boards, hand-Nail the Rolls, Staple the Boards. Then start Cutting the Baseboard, Fill in the Gaps. Once you fit Last Board Into Place, Fill Holes With Wood Putty.

Answer 9

Depending on how much experience you have in home improvement projects, installing laminate flooring is a manageable task. There are several websites online that show video tutorials or have step-by-step directions posted, such as diynetwork.com.

Answer 10

If you’re sick of carpeting in your kitchen or living room, laminate flooring is a beautiful alternative. Why pay someone to install it when you can install it by yourself quickly and easily? You’ll save money, and as an added bonus, you’ll love telling people that you installed your new floor when they compliment it.

1. Measure the area that you’ll be covering in laminate flooring. Be precise, because you’ll need the exact figure when you go to buy the flooring. Having an accurate measurement means that you’ll avoid buying flooring that will be awkward or difficult to fit into your living space. When you go to buy your laminate flooring, consider buying a little bit extra in case of a mistake.

2. Clean the floor you’ll be covering thoroughly. Anything left behind can make the floor sit unevenly, and you’ll definitely notice it once you’re done.

3. When you start to put your flooring down, start in one corner. Before starting, ensure that you are leaving about 10 millimeters of space around the perimeter of the area being laid down. Wood expands in heat, and this space will give your flooring space to expand into. Lay your first full piece down. You can now take the next piece, lock it in with the end of the first piece, and make sure that it fits snugly.

4. As you finish your first row, check the sides of the laminate flooring for any untidy edges or pieces left sticking out. Check very carefully and remove any extra bits of material, because they will make installation of subsequent rows very difficult.

5. When you start the second row, don’t line it up the same as the first row. Start your first full board halfway down the first board of the first row—this is called staggering, and it’s an essential part of installing laminate flooring. To fill the first half of the piece, cut one piece into two halves. One half can be used at each end to fill the row.

6. Continue installing your flooring, being sure to check for loose bits around the edges at each row and staggering throughout the installation. When you’re done, admire your work! You now have a gorgeous floor and you did it yourself.