Ways to Install a Solid Wood Floor

As far as natural beauty and durability is concerned, hardwood is the number one choice for floors. May it be in the living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchen areas and in the other parts of the home; wood flooring will always be considered as the best option for homeowners and contractors likewise for it is both effective and attractive. Several homeowners, however, are not very keen in using solid wood floor in the bathrooms as wood contracts due to moisture that will cause for it to rot if it remains in contact with water for a long period of time. Actually, solid wood floors can be used in the bathroom given that the proper finishing is carried out and the required attention and maintenance is observed by homeowners.

Solid Wooden Floors Pre-Installation Activities

Always make sure that your new set of solid wood floor is laid on level, smooth, structurally strong and clean base flooring. Before you decide to begin with the actual installation of your wood flooring, it is important that these are stacked indoors for a couple of days so that the wood can adapt to the humidity level of your home.

Solid Wood Flooring Installation Steps

1. First of all, make an installation plan in which the solid wood floor is installed perpendicular to the joists of the floor.
2. The areas of the floor joists along the wall needs to be marked for reference.
3. The sub-floor should be covered with a layer of asphalt felt to reduce squeaks and to prevent moisture from gathering.
4. Make a mark of the centerline where the solid wood floor will be installed.
5. If you will be installing the wood floor in a room which is not a perfect square, place the tongue of the first row in a parallel position to the centerline and rip the side of the groove at the angle that is parallel to the wall.


6. Do not forget to lay out several rows of the boards during the installation and stagger the boards in a way that an end joint will not come closer than half a foot to the end joint of the succeeding row.
7. As you are installing the strips, cut pieces of not less than 8 inches in length to match at each row's end. You should give a space of half an inch from the wall.
8. Lastly, attach the solid wood flooring to the subflooring. Once the installation of the solid wood floor is done, sanding and finishing will follow.

There are many ways to install solid wood flooring; it is for you to decide which of those are you going use.

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