subject: Boulder Hardwood Flooring Advice [print this page] For natural beauty and practicality wood is the optimal material of choice for floors. Wood looks great in living rooms, kitchens, main rooms, and many other places.
Because of woods propensity to expand and contract with moisture, it cannot be left in contact with water for a long duration of time. For this reason, many homeowners shy away from using wood in their kitchens and bathrooms. Contrary to popular belief, wood can actually be a great option for these rooms as long as it is given a great protective finish and is maintained well.
Heres how to install the wood:
Installation steps:
Before installing wood flooring, stack it indoors for a few days to allow the wood time to adjust to your homes humidity level. Plan to install the flooring perpendicular to the floor joists.
Mark the positions of the floor joists along a wall for reference, as shown in step 2, and cover the subfloor with a layer of 15-pound asphalt felt to provide some moisture protection and minimize squeaks. Mark the centerline of the room using a measuring tape and chalk line as shown in step
If the room is seriously out of square, position the tongue of the first row parallel to the centerline and rip (cut lengthwise) the groove side at an angle parallel to the wall.
To rip flooring, you will need a power saw that has a fence, such as a job saw (portable table saw). For crosscuts, you can use a power circular saw with a carbide-tipped 40-tooth blade or, better yet, a power miter (chop) saw with the same type of blade.During installation, youll find its helpful to lay out several rows of boards, staggering them so no end joint is closer than 6 inches to an end joint in the next row. As you install the strips, cut pieces (at least 8 inches long) to fit at the end of each row; allow for a 1/2-inch gap at the wall.When blind-nailing with a hammer and finishing nails, dont try to drive the nails flush or the indentations will show. Instead, leave each nailhead projecting up about 1/8 inch and then place a nail set sideways over it along the upper edge of the tongue and drive the nail home by tapping the nail set with a hammer. Finally, use the tip of the nail set to recess the nails head flush with the wood.
