In fact, factory-finished floors can be installed straight out of the box. Because of these types of advancements, it is easier than ever to install a hardwood floor yourself. Obviously, hiring a professional to install your floors will take a lot less time than doing it on your own.
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.
Start by butting the first row of boards (groove side) up to the backer board and begin nailing. Proceed with the installation until there is insufficient room to use the floor nailer. Next, remove the backer board. Glue the groove then insert a spline and fasten the piece with the floor nailer.
The recommended expansion gap for the engineered wood floor is 8mm (5/16 in). For hardwood or bamboo, leave a gap between 10 to 15 mm (3/8 to 5/8 in).
Begin by selecting a long board to start the first row. Pick one that is straight. Align the edge of the board with the chalk line and drill pilot holes down through the hardwood plank and into the sub-floor and joist. Face-nail each board at the point of every joist and set the nail with a nail-set.
The 8D or 8-penny size finishing nail is common for the job of flooring. Predrilling nail holes avoids split boards. Additionally, a nail-set tool lets you tap the nail head into the board without the risk of denting it with the hammer.
Removing a Subfloor
A circular saw and pry bar are typically the tools of choice, and the contractor will remove all damaged materials. A drill may also be used if any screws are found along the way.
A staple will give a stronger, less-forgiving hold because of its two-pronged construction. Nails allow for a more natural expansion and contraction of the hardwood floorboards with fewer problems.
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.
Use 2" long cleat nails when installing 3/4" solid wood flooring over a wood subfloor with floor joists.
Begin your nailing from the left side of the room and always do your nailing from left to right across the floor. Use a rubber mallet to tap the boards tightly into place. To nail your flooring, strike the plunger at the top of the nailer with the rubber mallet.
- Pre-drill holes spaced 6” to 8” apart at a 45° angle along the tongue and blind nail the plank – countersink nails with a nail set. - Continue to blind nail each seceding row until the nailer/stapler can be used to install the flooring .
Solid hardwood floors must be fixed into position by either gluing or nailing down to the subfloor. Engineered hardwood floors can be glued or nailed into position, but they also have the option of being floated over an underlay.
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.
Once you have decided to use the glue down floor method, make sure that you leave a large enough expansion gap, depending on the hardwood product you chose, from the wall to allow the wood to contract and expand.
We usually recommend leaving 3/8" to 1/2" space, more space may be recommended or required for larger rooms or if wide boards are being installed.
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.
Wood floors should always be laid perpendicular to floor joists—across rather that in between them. This will make the floors structurally sound and will help prevent the planks from separating, sagging or buckling. So, there is no right or wrong way to lay your wood flooring.
Whenever you are placing wood flooring in a hallway or any long and narrow area, it should run in the direction away from the doorway.
Mark the first row by placing the groove side of a board against the wall near a corner, leaving a gap of approximately 3/16 of an inch between the board and wall. Mark the subfloor on the tongue side and measure the distance between the mark and the wall.
+1 on no glue in the T&G joint. The individual boards need to be able to expand contract individually (That's the advantage of T&G). To solve the exposed unfinished tongue issue, you can pre-stain and finish the tongues before assembly. +1 on no glue in the T&G joint.