| You can get a beautiful room for less if you | | | | |
| learn how to lay hard wood floor in your | | | | Next, you will lay the under floor, which may |
| home. To install a wood floor, you need to | | | | come in rolls or be planks that you will lay |
| understand some basic facts about the nature | | | | perpendicular to the eventual finished floor |
| of wood and of flooring mechanics. There are | | | | on top. With foam or paper types, use a |
| a lot of ways to learn how to install | | | | utility knife to trim to exact fit. Planks |
| flooring, and it's always a good idea to get | | | | may also require custom fitting. The flooring |
| help from a friend with some prior | | | | itself should be started in a corner and |
| experience. | | | | worked out from there. A spacer goes in first |
| | | | to act as an easement for expansion and |
| Installing hardwood floors can use | | | | contraction of the wood. Use spacers along |
| traditional or floating floor methods. | | | | each wall. |
| Floating floors have planking with tongues | | | | |
| and grooves that fit together and are simply | | | | For doorways, you will need to cut a groove |
| laid over special materials like cork or | | | | to let the new floor planks fit underneath |
| foam. Traditional methods use some of the | | | | until it is snug against the walls. Measure |
| same methods but need more expertise and are | | | | and fit this very carefully to look as good |
| much more of a challenge for the beginner. | | | | as it can. The best fixative is an aliphatic |
| | | | glue. This dries fairly quickly, in |
| After deciding on new flooring material and | | | | approximately 60 minutes and reaches full |
| getting advice and supplies, you must remove | | | | strength in 24 hours. Use a rubber hammer and |
| the old flooring and prepare the surface of | | | | a shim of a board to protect the surface when |
| the under floor that the new wood floor will | | | | you secure each plank. The last one may need |
| be installed on top of. The very first step | | | | a custom cut and a crowbar to wedge into |
| in remodeling is removing old flooring, but | | | | place against the wall. Protect this wall |
| if this is new construction, this is of | | | | with some scrap plywood. |
| course not needed. | | | | |
| | | | Allow the glue to dry completely before |
| Strip out the old flooring in sections you | | | | allowing normal traffic and then enjoy the |
| can manage using a special wide scraper or | | | | room! A couple of helpful tips include |
| even a metal spatula to help. You need to | | | | leaving the wood indoors for a few days to |
| remove it completely and then sweep and | | | | equalize the humidity before putting it down, |
| vacuum very thoroughly. Check for a smooth | | | | as well as laying out anything patterned |
| and level surface. You may need to fill any | | | | without glue before committing to the final |
| dips or low areas or even do foundation | | | | placement. |
| repairs. | | | | |