- October 23, 2018
- Posted by regularadmin
Hardwood Floor Installation
Hardwood flooring is an investment directly affected by the quality of installation. Poor installation can ruin the most expensive flooring. When considering hardwood flooring, the choice of flooring contractor is as important as the choice of wood flooring. Accurate measurements must be made to order the proper quantity. Any area being floored with timber wood flooring should be above grade and completely dry. (If wood flooring is to be installed in a basement setting, it should be engineered hardwood or another hard flooring material.) The subfloor must be moisture free, smooth and level. It is possible to install hardwood over old wood flooring if it is dry, solid, free from bumps or hardware and the extra thickness is acceptable.
Hardwood can be installed over concrete subfloor if it’s more than sixty days old, has been moisture tested, and has a clean troweled finish. Hardwood floor installation should be one of the last projects in a new build or remodel, after all construction is completed. Any fixtures not being floored under should be in place; with the exception of shoe molding and doors, which should be installed after the floors are finished completely.
Preparation to Completion
Most hardwood flooring should be unpackaged and stacked in the room it will be installed in for several days to adjust to the humidity of the room. If part of a larger remodeling project, toe strips, possibly baseboards and doors must be removed. The subfloor must be repaired, leveled if necessary, and all nails, tacks, and staples removed. The subfloor should be cleaned then covered in underlayment, which will provide a moisture barrier.
Before the actual installation, different packages of wood should be mixed up to variate the subtle natural differences in grain and color. Once all these processes are complete, the installation begins along the longest wall and proceeds until the final strip is cut and fitted to the opposing wall. If unfinished, the finishing process now begins. Finding qualified hardwood flooring professionals is a good investment in time and money, and assures decades of functional, beautiful hardwood floors.
