How long does hardwood floor installation take?

Author: Mireya Dickens  |  Last update: Saturday, June 4, 2022

The Hardwood Floor Installation Process
On average, a two-person crew can lay 800 to 1,000 square feet of flooring per day. Depending on the size of the planks and size of the room, the project can take one to three days to complete. However, you need to account for removal as well as any prep work that may be needed.

How long does it take to lay a hardwood floor?

Typically, installation of hardwood floor takes anywhere from 1 to 3 days. The average job size ranges from 1000 to 5000 square feet. A two-person team of installers is typically able to complete 750 to 1000 square feet of flooring each day.

How long does it take to lay 1000 square feet of hardwood?

Summary time line for Pre-finished hardwood flooring:

Total install time for 1,000 sf or less = 1-5 days (+ extra if floor prep is needed and/or tile rip up) Total elapsed time for 1,000 sf or less = 2- 4 weeks.

Can you walk on hardwood floors after installation?

How long do I have to wait to use my room after new floors are installed? We recommend waiting 6 hours before walking on your new floors in socks. After 24 hours you can walk through with shoes on. Allow 48 hours before setting furniture and returning pets.

How long does it take to install 1500 square feet of hardwood floors?

The installation itself doesn't take too long. With a small crew of at least wo people, it should only take between 1-3 days to fully install the hardwood for jobs 1,500 square feet and under.

Installing HARDWOOD FLOORING for the FIRST TIME ? How To Install Wood Floors

How long does flooring take to install?

It can generally take between 1-4 days to install hardwood flooring. However, this will vary based on the amount of wood and the area's complexity. The nature of cabinets and angles of furniture may hinder installation. When you set up on a diagonal, it may take longer, due to the many cuts.

Is installing hardwood floors hard?

Solid hardwood flooring is the most difficult of all to install. It's usually attached with a special flooring nailer then sanded with a drum type floor sander and finished.

Can I stay in my house while floors are refinished?

If your hardwood floors have been sanded and finished with Bona Mega Clear HD, it is safe to sleep in the home about 2-3 hours after the project is finished, but again, only if there are other rooms that have not been robbed of their furniture – furniture should stay off floors for at least 24 hours after ANY project ...

How long do you have to wait to put furniture on new hardwood floors?

Wait 48 to 72 hours after the hardwood has been refinished/ finished before "PLACING" furniture back in its place. Keep a steady temperature and humidity within your home. Dramatic swings in temperature will cause hardwood to shrink or to cup. Sweep/dust and mop often.

How soon can you walk on hardwood floors?

When you first have your hardwood flooring installed, you should wait at least a day before walking on your floors with socks. Avoid having pets play in the newly renovated room for two days, and keep heavy furniture out of the room for at least a week so the floor can cure.

How long does it take to remove carpet and install hardwood?

Basically, it will take around 1 – 3 days to install the floor depending on its size. However, due to the need for hardwood acclimation and other things, you will need about 8 – 10 days to complete the whole process.

Is it easy to install wood flooring?

Hardwood floors are beautiful, last a lifetime, and are easy to install. With no special tools, you can go from subfloor to breathtaking in as little as a day.

How much does it cost to install 1000 square feet of hardwood floors?

Installing hardwood flooring averages between $6 and $12 per square foot. On average, wood flooring costs between $3 and $7 per square foot for materials and $3 to $5 per square foot for labor. An estimate for installation of 1000 square feet of hardwood flooring runs between $6,000 and $12,000.

Do you need underlayment for hardwood flooring?

Why You Need Underlayment

While underlayment isn't always necessary for your hardwood floors, there are always benefits to it. One of the most significant reasons to install underlayment is the added stability and durability. Underlayment provides support for your floor and helps smooth subfloor imperfections.

How long do hardwood floors last?

Under normal circumstances of daily wear-and-tear and no extreme events, most wood flooring lasts an average of 100 years. Engineered hardwood flooring can last as long as 50 years. Significant damage to untreated wood flooring, using softer woods, and a lack of maintenance can shorten the lifespan of wood floors.

When can my dog walk on refinished floors?

Dogs should stay off refinished hardwood floors for at least 24 hours. This will be the amount of time that an oil-based polyurethane coat needs to dry all the way.

Do floor refinishers move your furniture?

Furniture should be removed if all floors in a house must be refinished. Moving the furniture from room to room is difficult and time-consuming. Instead, removing the furniture from the house requires only two moves, instead of constant shifting throughout the refinishing process.

Can you sleep in your house after staining floors?

It is a terrible idea to sleep or stay in a house after staining floors. The stain fumes are often overwhelming and highly toxic. In addition, exposure to such a stinky smell for long periods of time can trigger severe breathing problems and other health issues to both humans and pets.

How do you get the smell out of hardwood floors after refinishing?

Distilled white vinegar

White vinegar can also refresh the air in your entire house. Pour a bit of this vinegar into small containers and place them in the corners of the varnished floor. Let it sit overnight and replace them as necessary. Alternatively, you can simmer a bit of the vinegar for about an hour.

Do you paint first or refinish floors first?

The answer to the question is, “do the floors first!” Here's why: Removing and replacing flooring or carpeting is dirty work. If you paint first, and then do floors, there is a good chance that a lot of dirt, dust, sawdust or tile/stone dust will end up on your freshly painted walls and trim.

Which direction should hardwood floors run?

The most common way to lay hardwood flooring is by aligning the planks parallel to the longest wall. Apart from a few exceptions like sagging joists, this is the preferred direction to lay wood floors because it aesthetically provides the best result.

Do you nail into the tongue or groove?

The groove of the plank should face the wall and the tongue should face outward. This makes the tongue accessible for nailing, but not the groove.

Where do you start laying hardwood floors?

The goal is to make the boards start about 1/2″ from the exterior wall on both the back side and edge. Since the wall was out of square, this varied as much as 1/2″ along the perimeter. In every hardwood installation, you should leave 1/2″ expansion joints between the flooring surface and the exterior wall.

Are hardwood floors worth it?

As CNN reported, hardwood floors can also increase home value by 3-5%. This makes them a very attractive prospect for anyone looking to sell their house in the near future. However, even if you don't plan on moving any time soon, hardwood floors may still be a good investment.

Does hardwood flooring increase home value?

Hardwood floors are one of the best flooring options for homeowners looking to increase the resale value of their home, with hardwood typically yielding around a 75% return on investment.

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