Do it Yourself Flooring Installation

Flooring installation is something you can perform by yourself just by following different guides, meaning that in most cases there is no need to hire professionals. You can use one of many detailed manuals created by professionals; in fact, even beginners can install one of the many types of flooring available. While following these manuals, if you encounter trouble or are in doubt of your understanding of the instructions, try not to “invent” a solution; rather, consult a professional.  Often a simple search on sites like Youtube can provide boundless helpful hints and tricks that will help you when you get stuck.

Hardwood Flooring Installation

Regarding flooring choices, numerous options are available such as wood, laminate, bamboo, rubber, stole and many others. Although installation instructions for these types differ somewhat, they do have some shared installation steps. That said, in this article, we will discuss the installation of hardwood flooring.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cuKKSKlXKg

Hardwood flooring is durable and has natural beauty. It is widely used in dining rooms, living rooms and many other types of rooms. It is still not common in the bathrooms since wood expands and contracts when in contact with moisture that is common in bathrooms. This, however, can also be solved if you add some protective finish to the flooring and maintain it properly.

Let us further discuss the steps of the installation. Before you start the installation, store the flooring inside the house so it will have time to adjust to the humidity levels that exist within the home. They can be installed either above or below grade, over existing wood floors, on concrete slabs and on many other surfaces. When installing them on concrete, moisture control is essential. Further, there are some manufacturers that recommend additional underlayment that is specially suited for hardwood floor installation. Once the subfloor is installed, the installation of the boards can begin. You’ll need some tools, but a hammer and board nailer should be sufficient.

Almost all installers first choose the focal point of the room (for example, the fireplace) while trying to determine where the installation is supposed to begin. In this particular case, the border will be first installed around the hearth. If you lay the greatest borders before the rest, it will ensure that the installation, once it is completed, will be symmetrical. Before you lay out the first board, take a piece of chalk and draw a line that you will use as a reference point. Many manufacturers recommend that the previously mentioned underlayment should be installed over the plywood subfloor. Also, aligning of the first row or boards using the chalk will ensure that all the further rows will be straight.

Very often the boards come delivered in random lengths, so before you secure all the remaining boards or the subfloor you should test them to see if they fit in sections. You will then have information about whether all the points of the board will be staggered. Using a general rule of thumb, the joints should be approximately 12 inches away.

Finally, the flooring installation is rather simple job regardless of if you are skilled or not, but the best point to start is with reading the manufacturer’s guidelines.