There are several good reasons to install hardwood flooring in a house, apartment, or office space. From aesthetics, durability, and value to style and warmth, these products make for an ideal flooring option. Based on exactly what type of hardwood floors you are planning to lay down, you will need to follow the right installation method. Before installation begins, you need to adhere to all the essential tips and guidelines in order to achieve perfect and accurate results. It is important to seek the help of those floor installation technicians who possess expert skills, specialization, and ample experience in laying down hardwood.
Since this product has no dearth of styles, textures, and colors, installing it will definitely take the look of your homes and rooms to the next level. In this article, we will discuss hardwood floor installation in detail.
Different Installation Methods
Before we start discussing how to install hardwood flooring in a house or office, let us first know the various installation methods.
When it comes to laying down hardwood material, there are three main techniques for the installation. It is crucial to select the right method, based on your specific needs. Your decision to choose a method will depend on factors such as your subfloor, how much you are willing to spend, and the type of product you choose. Here are the three installation methods available today.
Glue-Down
This is a type of installation in which the engineered hardwood planks are joined together with the use of adhesive. If you plan to install engineered hardwood, this is a popular technique you will need to use. First, all the planks are clicked together and then joined using glue.
Click-Lock
This is one of the most common hardwood installation methods. Using this method, the wood planks are click-locked in a manner that moisture cannot enter. If you have a cement subfloor or tile subfloor, you will need to use the click-lock method of hardwood material installation.
Nail Down
This is one of the most ideal techniques for hardwood floor installation, often chosen by homeowners and businesses. Using this method is very popular due to the high level of performance. If you plan to use the nail-down method, you will require a subfloor made of wood. If you do not have this subfloor, you will first need to create a plywood subfloor. Once the wood panels have been installed, the nails used in the process will become invisible.
Each of these installation methods is unique and has its own pros and cons. Based on your selection of a particular hardwood floor product, you should seek the advice of a highly experienced flooring contractor in your area as to which method will be ideal in your case. If you live in Manchester, NH, contact Minuteman Floors for premium quality flooring material and installation.
Before Hardwood Floor Installation Begins
Prior to the installation, you need to store the hardwood planks or strips in a suitable area of the room. This is important for the products to acclimatize and for removing any kind of obstruction during work.
Wood has a property to expand and contract. So, it is crucial to give the products proper time to acclimatize. Depending on which area you are located in, your house will have specific temperature and moisture conditions. Leaving the planks or strips in the room will give them time to adjust to these conditions. According to experienced flooring contractors, the hardwood planks should be given at least 72 hours for them to get properly acclimatized.
If you look for more details in this regard, feel free to get in touch with one of our floor installation experts at Minuteman Floors in Manchester, NH. Our experts will walk you through all the crucial details.
Hardwood Flooring Installation
Now that you have become aware of the multiple hardwood floor installation methods and what to do before the installation, it is time to get into the details of the actual installation procedure. So, here is a step-by-step procedure that the technician will follow to install hardwood.
Tools and Materials
No matter what type of floor installation it is, having the right set of tools and essential materials is a must. An experienced flooring installer knows exactly what kind of tools and devices will be required to carry out a particular type of installation. Some of the necessary tools required for hardwood flooring installation include a mallet, nail setter, tape measure, claw hammer, drill, long level, chalk reel, table saw, and jigsaw among others. Not having the right type of tools can affect the quality of the installation in your house, apartment, or office.
Acclimatization
We have already talked about this step earlier in the article. You should get it done at least 3-5 days before the actual installation begins. It is also a good practice to mix up the planks or strips with one another. If you come across some damaged planks, do not throw them away. Instead, store these planks as well. These may prove to be useful later. Select the straightest boards for laying down in the first couple of rows. These are very crucial steps for the installation.
Subfloor Preparation
For the hardwood flooring to be installed in an accurate manner, preparation of the subfloor is essential. For great results, you will need to remove the old floor. If the previous material was carpet flooring, you should get all the carpet strips and baseboards removed in a proper manner.
However, carpet is not the only material that your previous flooring may be made of. You may have different types of old flooring that must be removed. To get expert advice on the removal of your old flooring materials, you should reach out to a flooring contractor such as Minuteman Floors in Manchester, NH. Our professionals and floor installation specialists will guide you correctly.
If the subfloor is not ready, the installation should wait. You need to make sure the subfloor is smooth and level. Laying down of hardwood materials should be performed on a perfectly even and leveled subfloor.
Nail-Down Installation Method
Start aligning the first board. The tongue of the board or the plank should face the room. Place the spacer (measuring ¾ inch) against the adjoining wall. The end of the board should be slid against the spacer. After this, the flooring technician will drill holes into the upper side of the board. The holes will be drilled at a proper distance from one another. Now, flooring mail will be driven through the pilot holes, made in the hardwood planks or boards. The technician will then make extra pilot holes into the tongue of the hardwood board. The tongue and groove of the boards will then be seated into each other. Finally, the board will be nailed down.
The entire process of installing and nailing down every plank should be carried out in a proper and accurate manner.
Likewise, the technician will install all the other boards, one row after another. If you want to achieve excellent quality of installation, you should rely only on experienced flooring contractors and technicians.
Click-Lock Installation Method
In this method, the technician will start with the first row of planks against the wall. It is crucial to leave the extension gap.
The first board is placed in a direction so that the groove side faces away from the wall. The end of the board will be pushed against the spacer (measuring ½ inch). Likewise, each wall will have a spacer like this. Now, as per the instructions of the manufacturer, the technician will make pilot holes. After driving flooring nails through the holes, all the nails will be countersunk. Then the first plank will be click-locked with the second plank. In a similar manner, all the hardwood planks will be laid down and click-locked with each other with accuracy.
The click-lock installation procedure involves a lot of measurements while following some expert tips. It is important to use the right set of tools as well as do proper preparation to achieve perfect quality.
Glue Down Installation Method
For those homes and offices where the subfloor is concrete, using the glue-down method of installation is an ideal option.
One of the key things about this particular installation technique is that it doesn’t require an additional vapor barrier. If you have a smaller budget, you should definitely go for this type of floor installation.
After the floor prepping has been done as per specific requirements, it is time to spread the adhesive with a trowel. It is important to remember that you should not spread more adhesive than you can actually work on at a time. If you spread glue for too many rows at a time, it will dry by the time you start to work on those rows. Apply glue only over a small area at a time. It is a best practice to hold and use the trowel at an angle of 45 degrees.
Now, install the first row in alignment with the layout line. Cut to size the last plank or board of the first row. Use a table saw to do it while making sure you leave a ¾ inch expansion gap. Now, install the boards for the second row. To do this, the wood floor installation technician will secure the groove into the tongue of the boards in the first row using a rubber millet.
Likewise, the technician will proceed with other rows and install the hardwood boards or planks one after another. The process will involve cutting the boards to the perfect size and leaving expansion gaps as well. If you want quality installation, you should seek the help of experienced flooring contractors.
Tips for Installing Hardwood Floors
When it comes to installing hardwood material, there are several important things that should be kept in mind. Experienced technicians are fully aware of these steps and guidelines and follow all of them in a proper manner. If you want your hardwood flooring installation to have quality, you should reach out to an experienced flooring contractor in your area and hire specialists.
Whether it is hardwood planks or engineered hardwood material, it should be laid down only on quality plywood. It is a mistake to install this material directly over a concrete subfloor, as mentioned earlier in this guide. Most of all, it is important to adhere to all the manufacturer’s instructions. A technician will find out exactly what quantity of hardwood material will be needed for installation in your house, apartment, mansion, or office. When calculating this, the technician will also take wasted and damaged boards into account. When the material is laid down, it should be placed perpendicularly to the floor joists as well as parallel to the longest wall while also leaving adequate expansion gaps all around.
It is very important to read all the wood floor fitting instructions between the lines. Here, you will find all the instructions you are needed to follow for your correct hardwood floor installation. Right from prepping the floor to laying down the boards correctly, you will find all the instructions in detail. A layman or an amateur will likely find it difficult to understand all the instructions.
Therefore, you should always seek the help of experts who will understand instructions in a proper manner and follow them while carrying out the hardwood floor installation in your home or office space.
Talk to an Expert Flooring Installer
If you are in search of a flooring contractor who has ample experience in the installation of hardwood flooring material, head straight to Minuteman Floors in Manchester, New Hampshire. Our company is a highly trusted supplier of premium quality flooring material and carries out the installation with a high level of accuracy. Hardwood floors are well-known for excellent features such as high durability, easy cleaning, waterproofing, scratch resistance, etc. Our hardwood floor installations come along with a one-year warranty to give you peace of mind. Our services also include carpet installation, carpet replacement, vinyl plank installation, etc.
For your free consultation, you can call our office phone number or send us an email using the contact form on our website.