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Posted on April 1, 2006 by Alphonso Sirtle. | Posted under Interior Decorating
Installing Hardwood Flooring - A Mini-Guide
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First, you will need to clean the sub-floor thoroughly. If you are doing this the first time, realize that you must let it dry thoroughly before you can finish the flooring. Of course, you do not want the sub-floor to expand or contrast once the flooring has been laid. This can cause warping and buckling of your finished product. I suggest a thorough vacuuming of the area. In addition, you should add a plastic covering over the doors and any chimneys to prevent further debris from getting out or getting in. Once you have a clean sub-floor free from any debris, you should now condition that sub-floor by removing any of nails or screws that may have popped up over the years. You can use needle nose pliers for this task. At the same time you should be checking for any unnecessary squeaking. This can be remedied by driving nails through the sub-floor into the beams underneath. This will fix most squeaking, making for a better hardwood floor. In addition, take the time to level out any areas of the floor that may be warped or slightly unleveled. Doing repairs is easier if you fix any possible problems before you start. Another important factor to installing hardwood flooring is making sure the wood has been "acclimated" to your home. This means letting the wood sit for 48 hours or more in your home so that it can get adjusted to your home environment. This can be done in a garage, but for obvious reasons, this is not to be done outside. This will allow your new flooring to expand and adjust to your home before installation. Skipping this step means that your hardwood flooring will warp or buckle in only a short time. Doing the job right the first time is definitely worth the wait. While the wood is acclimating to your home, you should lay the overlay protective covering on top of your sub-floor. This gives a bit of cushioning to your future flooring while letting you double or triple check for imperfection in your sub-floor that needs to be fixed. Usually, you can find out how much sub-floor you need by using this calculation. Width x length 5%: a room that is 8 feet wide by 6 feet long will need 8 x 6 = 48 2.5(5%) or roughly 51 feet of overlay. The extra will allow for cutting. I also suggest taking a final vacuum of the area before you start. However, do not use anything damp on the floor at this point. Now, you will get a circular saw to cut the first of your planks. Make sure to cut from the opposite side of your plank. You will want to use a clean, sharp saw blade. Remember: safety first! Following the manufacturer's suggestions for proper installation is essential at this point. You will want to follow a couple of these extra tips with you though. First, always lay the planks perpendicular to the house beams underneath. This is for safety and stability. Of course, this is not always an option, but you should get at least a 90% angle. If for some, unforeseen reason you have to lay them with the grain, then you must add an additional layer of sub-flooring. The deck planks are the first planks you add and need a bit of extra support to hold them in place. At this point, it would be wise to use a detector to find where your pipes and electrical wire are underneath. You do not need any issues from driving nails or drilling screws into the sub-floor. First, you need to drill two holes - one on each side opposite one another. This should be done at both ends. Then you measure the deck planks to be even, and a certain distance from the wall to allow for breathing. Firmly drill each plank into place. This will give you a steady bas to proceed from. Around the door I suggest you lay a single plank that has been cut down to go from one end of the door to the other along the floor. This should be done before you start adding planks to the rest of the floor. However, if you have other obstacles, make sure to take care of them as the time arises. In addition, make sure your door will open and close smoothly before you continue. Some people choose to remove the door and shave the bottom if necessary; other people choose to make adjustments to the planks directly. These are only a few of the useful tips that you can find at various spots on the Internet. However, this mini-guide to installing hardwood flooring has a nice set of tips and tricks to hopefully help you make the most of your hardwood floor now and in the future. A good hardwood floor can last generations with minimal patching. However, and improperly laid hardwood floor will cause you problems from day one. Remember, choose a good finish and stain is as important as to properly installing your hardwood flooring. Take the time to research the possibilities. About The Author: Alphonso has been working in the home remodeling industry for last 5 years. Take advantage of his experience and written material on flooring ideas at his website at http://www.improve-home.com |
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