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Home Flooring Installation Projects

Posted on 19. Apr, 2009 by Mark Coleman in Flooring

Hardwood flooring installation can be a difficult and time consuming task, but if you feel comfortable giving it a go personally, you can end up saving quite a bit of money. Properly installed hardwoods can last for several years, even under moist and humid conditions, such as in a bathroom. With a little planning and a step by step plan, as well as plenty of time, hardwood flooring installation can be accomplished without expensive professional services.

Moisture is the number one enemy of hardwood flooring. Moisture can eventually lead to the warping and cracking of the surface as it expands and contracts. This does not imply, however, that hardwood flooring cannot be used in humid circumstances. Hardwood flooring simply requires a little maintenance in order to work well under these conditions. Installing hardwood with an asphalt felt should provide a great degree of protection against rotting and warping of the hardwood. Take 15 pound asphalt felt, and put it over the subfloor in overlapping sections. The felt should be secured with a staple gun.

Leave a little space, approximately half an inch, between the asphalt felt and the wall. A baseboard or base shoe will be secured in these smaller spaces between the flooring and the wall. The initial three boards of the flooring should be placed by hand. Board lengths are normally random, so portions of the flooring should be set out as a test before nailing down. When the first boards are placed, the rest can be set with a flooring nailer. This will make it simpler to do an accurate job of laying out the flooring.

When the new flooring results in an uneven surface, you can employ a reducer to create a level meeting point. When getting ready to put down a hardwood floor, be certain to safely store the wood. Placing the wood outside where it can get wet will lead to warped and cracked flooring that does not fit together. If the flooring must be stored outdoors, be sure to protect it with a waterproof tarp. This can prevent any moisture from causing permanent damage. Do not transport wood flooring in an open bed when weather conditions could give rise to rain or high humidity.