subject: How To Install Hardwood Floors: Doing The Nail-down Method [print this page] Installing hardwood flooring should be done with preparations and every move should be taken into thinking since the end-result of such could affect how your home appears. We know that you would want to turn your home into one of the most elegant residences in Ottawa, therefore, we are here to assist you in your flooring needs.
Ironwood Hardwood Flooring and Decking is one of the best flooring and decking companies in Ottawa, having a vast selection of floorings and decks that you could choose from to suit your home and you. The company performs installation jobs as requested and gives tips and instructions to those who prefer to install hardwood floors on their own.
As an initial move to installing hardwood floorings, do some pre-selecting. Set aside those boards which nicely blend with all horizontally mounted moldings to create a uniform appearance of the floors, and install these boards adjoining the moldings. Pay special attention to staggering ends of boards in adjacent rows at adjust them to at least 4 to 6" or 10 to 15 cm --- this helps in attaining a better floor appearance. When you perform installations, do the procedure by utilizing hardwood floorings at the same time from their packages so as not to mix shades and color. And always allow a minimum of " (6mm) expansion around all vertical obstructions to enhance the quality of the effect. Floors may be stapled but we suggest that you use cleats for best results.
First, prepare the doorway and walls. You may do this by undercutting door jambs and casings. This is to avoid having hard scribe cuts, and remove any existing base, doorway thresholds or shoe molds (don't worry about these stuffs; you may replace them after).
Second, get a starting point. Begin the installation from the straightest wall, preferably an outside wall. At places with at least 18" or 45 cm from the corner, measure equal distances from the starting wall and mark with a chalk. This should be a multiple of the width of the floorings with an additional half inch or 12 mm for the quarter expansion space and width of the tongue. For best effects, installation made parallel to the longest wall is suggested. When doing such, floors should be in perpendicular installation to the flooring joists, unless subfloors have been there to reduce the sagging.
Third, focus now on the first and second rows. The longest and straightest boards are used for these rows (in case you are using random and alternate width products, consider using the widest first).
With the chalk line, align the tongue of the first row, with the groove facing the starting wall. Then do some pre-drilling: " (13mm) from the back (groove) edge, 1-2 (25-50mm) from each end, at 6 (150mm) intervals. Now fasten and countersink 4 or 6d finishing nails or 1 (25mm) pneumatic finish nails. Pre-drill and blind-nail at an angle of 45 through the tongue of the first row every 1-2 (25-50mm) from the ends, spaced in 3-4 (75-100mm) intervals. Don't forget to countersink the nails. Blind-nail the nails until a nailer can be used (same intervals with a minimum length of 1" or 25mm for pneumatic finish nails). Don't forget to do the staggering of end-joints!
Fourth, fasten 2-3 from each end of the board including intervals of 8-10 along their length. When doing this, we recommend that you use " nailer that drives a minimum of 1" cleats. Set 70 PSI or 480 kpa at compressor (lower pressure when damage occurs), and fasten sacrificial boards to the floor, with at least two boards stapled alongside for adjustments. Before proceeding, check for the following: air setting pressure, condition of the surface (damages), tongue damage, edge blistering, and others. Make adjustments then and remove the boards. In finishing the few final rows, pre-drill and face-nail on the tongue side with the first row's nailing pattern.
Lastly, clean the floor with a hardwood cleaner. Here are some favorites in hardwood cleaner products: Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner (for all types of wood floors coated with polyurethane finish including factory pre-finished wood floors), BonaKemi 4-Piece Hardwood Floor Care System , Glitsa Clean Hardwood Floor Cleaner (for all unwaxed wood floors), and Woodwise Hardwood Floor Cleaner (for no-wax floor finishes).
When you're done with the cleaning, set up the transition pieces needed, baseboards, and quarter round moldings, and fill minor gaps with blended filler. If covering is required, use cardboards or any breathable material.
The nail-down technique is just easy to do; you just have to consider things and all to get the best results out of your efforts. Follow these steps and you'd obtain the perfect floors that you always want to brag about!
