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How to do Hardwood Floor Installation

Hardwood floors have an aesthetic look and appeal. They give a natural look to your home's interiors. You will find your home interiors to have an enhanced and appealing look because of the sheen of the flooring.

 

When you want to install hardwood floors, you have to do it very professionally so that it turns out the right way. There should be no gaps between the floors and the floor layout must be smooth. Prior to installation it is necessary to stack the wood indoors so that it can get adjusted to the indoor humidity. Here is a look at the steps involved in hardwood floor installation:

 

• Mark floor joists prior to beginning the installation process. Locate the centre point of the room with a measuring tape. Use the center point as reference for snapping a chalk line parallel to the wall where you want to begin installing hardwood. The subfloor must be covered with a 15-pount asphalt layer for the purpose of moisture protection.

 

• Leave a half inch gap from the wall where you decide to start installing. This gap gives room for wood expansion. Have the gap covered by baseboard molding.

 

• It is necessary to select the longest board first for the very first row that you are going to install. Drill pilot holes for 1 1/2-inch finishing nails and then lay down the first row by face-nailing. Ensure to drill nails right into the subflooring and into the floor joists or sleeper. Nails can be recessed below the surface with the aid of a nailset.

 

• The next two rows should be bound by hand. Pilot holes must be drilled at 45-to-50-degree through the board tongues. The holes should be centered on each joist or sleeper and it should also be fastened with 1 1/2-inch finishing nails.

 

• When you are installing wooden flooring over a large area, it is necessary to make use of a wood floor nailer. However, be careful not to scratch the surface of the flooring in the process of laying it out.

 

• Laying the final row requires the use of a block and pry bar. This will wedge the last boards into a tight fitting position.

 

• In case installation of a new floor causes a change in the hallway level or the level of the adjoining room, make us of a reducer strip to make way for a smooth transition. The strip can be easily fitted onto the tongue of an adjacent board.

 

You can install hard wood floors by yourself, else you can get it done by professional. Check out for certifications and reliable service before selecting a hardwood installation service.

 

 

 

About the Author

Dennis enjoys writing on wide range of topics such as long island wood flooring . You may visit for more details.

Thickness of basement floor?

I want to finish part of my basement and need to know what the average width of the floor is. I will need to use a power nailer (the .22 caliber kind) to drive nails into the concrete, and do not know how much room there is to work with. How long do you usually get the nails? How far under the basement floor would the waste line be?

In a "basement" the sewage lines and/or any other plumbing should be exposed...NOT UNDER the basement slab.

Without knowing the age of your house, or the load the foundation bears; you might have as little as 4 inches or as much as the depth of two cinderblocks.

Without knowing at all the method or material you intend in finishing,,,IE: 2x4 footers, I suspect you need not use anything longer than 2 1/2 to 3 inches. Hopefully your walls be also be otherwise aided in their stability.

I don't use that kind of equipment; but I understand those who believe it's viable.

Steven Wolf

Powernail 445 16 gage Floor Nailer sold by http://floormech