Hardwood flooring is popular among the people, due to its unique features. Hardwood flooring gives a different look and feel to the home. It not only creates warm and welcoming environment at home but also adds beauty and character to the home.
This article deals with all essential points you should bear in mind while purchasing and installing the hardwood floor at the house.
Things to remember while shopping:
- Choosing wood for flooring is not a simple task. You should be very careful while choosing it. Before purchasing or making any final decisions on wooden flooring it is recommended to hire or consult a professional. You can as well consult your friends or colleagues who have already installed in their houses. This would help you in getting some ideas on the wooden flooring.
You should be aware of grading. Grading is the term which is commonly used by manufacturers to determine the appearance of the wood. The wood color may vary as it totally depends on from which part of the tree it came from. Each portion of the tree provides different colors of hardwood. Therefore, it will be good to make yourself sure about grading before making any purchases.- The next thing you should consider is your budget. Wooden flooring is expensive and therefore it is recommended that you should have certain budget limitations while making any choice. The cost of wood could vary on various aspects like its look, grade or quality. Therefore, your budget should be able to strike a balance where, you can end up purchasing the right quality wood at a decent price.
- Lastly, do not purchase from the very first shop you entered. It is recommended to search around few local shops and get a feel of various products available.
Steps to install:
- Once you have selected the wooden flooring material it is advised to store the wood for at least two weeks in the space you are willing to install. This is important as this gives the wood time to get adjusted to the room temperature and humidity. The amount of time the wood needs to adjust may vary from region to region.
- If you are renovating your house then remove the old floor down to the subfloor. This would help in creating a same level of flooring across the space where you want to install.
- Start with the longest plank of hardwood for the first row. The plank should be straight to the wall. Place the plank and drill holes with a depth of around one and a half or two inches to nail the plank to the subfloor. Repeat the step while placing other flew planks also. You should be very careful while choosing straight planks and nailing them. It is suggested to lay down atleast first few planks perfectly straight to the wall. This would help in making your floor straight and balanced.
- Remember not to nail boards less than one and half inches.
- Eliminate the imperfect pieces you come across while installing the wooded floor. These imperfect boards can be used in less conspicuous areas near the room walls.
Check your work as you continue installing the wooden planks to the area. Check the floor levels on each nailing of wooden plank. It is advised to hammer all the rows strongly before nailing them. This would collapse all the rows together and make the floor level straight and balanced.
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