Four Ways Of Hardwood Floor Installation

There are four main methods for hardwood floor installation

. It is usually done by the company from which the flooring was purchased, a building contractor or, in rare cases, a highly skilled amateur home renovator. If you are going to try to do it yourself, making sure you have the right equipment is a good place to start. The goal for all four types of installation is to produce an attractive floor that feels solid underfoot.

Generally, the four usual methods of attaching the hardwood to the sub flooring are nailing, stapling, gluing or floating. They require different skill levels and produce somewhat different results. Knowing your own limitations, understanding what each method involves and considering your priorities can help you make the choice that is best for you.

The nail down method involves nailing the hardwoods to the sub flooring, one nail every six to eight inches. It requires, not just a strong arms, but a strong back as well. Pneumatic nail guns can be of great assistance. The harder the species of wood being installed though, the more difficult getting the nail through in one shot becomes. This generally takes professional level skill.

A pneumatic stapler is used for the second method, stapling hardwoods. One of the most important qualities for success with this method is making sure that the sub flooring is in great condition. If not, the staples may loosen over time. Some people have noticed that the staples can create a floor that is too tightly bound to the sub floor, leading to a squeaky floor. Making sure the boards are straight so that the room is even when you are finished is very important if you try to staple a floor in yourself.

Gluing is the messiest method for installing hardwood floors, but produces a great feel for the homeowners, very solid underfoot. Gluing is often left to professionals since it is most prone to disaster. If the wrong glue is used, the wrong amount of glue or there was incorrect preparation of the floor, the boards may not stick. Also, it can create quite a clean up job if the installer is not very familiar with the product.

The simplest method of installing hardwood floors is called floating. The floors are not attached to the sub flooring at all. Some flooring is designed to snap together and float. Other floated floors are stuck together using an adhesive then laid in place. Though floating floors are designed to work over almost any kind of existing flooring, a mat is generally laid first for extra insulation and noise reduction.

If the homeowner really wants a solid feel beneath his feet when walking on the new flooring, floating floorboards may not be a good option. Glued floors typically feel the most solid. Nailed and stapled flooring can vary, in a large part due to the condition of the sub flooring. It is a difference to be considered when choosing the option best for you.

The more elaborate the pattern of the flooring, such as herringbone or parquet, the more skill involved in the installation. Also, narrow boards are typically more labor intensive than wider planks, for obvious reasons. If you double the number of boards, you will double the amount of installation required. It is a good idea to think about what is involved when considering hardwood floor installation.

by: John Horn

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