How To Install Wooden Floors

How To Install Wooden Floors

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If you are considering installing wooden floors by yourself then you need to be aware that this is going to be a tough job. But on the flip side, you really can get a lot of pride from knowing that your hard work led to such a beautiful addition to your home. Choosing wood as a floor covering means that not only are you choosing something which will look fantastic, you are also choosing a durable long lasting material. Wooden floors can be installed just about anywhere in the home but because of the risk of the wood rotting from excessive moisture, many people tend to avoid installing it in their kitchens or bathrooms.



Tips For Installing Wooden Floors



Here are a few tips that will hopefully make your job of installing wooden floors that little bit easier.



- When you are ordering your wood you should make a point of ordering an extra fifteen percent . When you are cutting the wood for the floor, you are probably going to have some pieces that you can't use and you may also make some mistakes too so that is why you should always have some extra wood.



- Before you actually start work you should make sure that your wood has been left sitting in the room where it is to be laid for a few days. Because wood tends to expand and contract you need to allow it to acclimatise to the room where it will be laid.



- When putting down the wood panels you should be moving perpendicular to the floor joints.



- Before putting down the panels on the floor joints check the joints for any squeaks. You can reinforce any areas where there are squeaks by using a long drywall screw.



- Moisture protection is important under a wooden floor so make sure that you lay this before the wooden panels. It is possible to use something like vapour barrier paper which will work just as well.



- The longest wall is probably the best place to begin the job. The first two rows should be nailed down by hand. Drilling pilot holes for your finishing nails is something that you should take care of.



- It is important that the panel joints are not close to the panel joints in the next row - aim to leave a six inch gap.



- You may find it easier when installing wooden floors to lay out a few panels at a time; just make sure that you are leaving the gaps between the joints for each row.



- You can use a small piece of scrap wood for levelling out each row. You can use this piece of scrap wood to make sure that each piece of wood fits tighter against the other by placing the wood at the side of a wood panel and tapping gently with a hammer.



- The job will become much easier if you use a floor nailer and you can start using this once you have got going.



- The last row will probably require the use of a pry bar to ensure that you get a tigher fit.



Although these tips will make installing a wooden floor a bit easier, they will not take the place of more in depth instructions which you will still have to have.


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