I posted a few weeks ago how I made my first fabric face masks. Since then the demand has skyrocketed, and I have found the absolute best way to mass produce fabric face masks. I can make upwards of 50- 60 fabric face masks a day with this method.
I donate most of what I make, but have started to sell some to offset the cost of fabric, elastic, ribbon and thread. Producing large quantities a day has allowed me to support my community through this very difficult time, with both donations and individual sales. I only see the need increasing as we start to go out more and have to interact with other people on a daily basis.
The idea behind this method is to make large quantities of masks in an assembly line format, cut out 20-40+, sew them all at once, press them and finish with the top stitch. I use one pin per mask to hold the pocket opening in place. I press in the pleats and don’t pin them. The method I top stitch allows me to adjust the pleats on the fly so it is even when complete.
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Supplies
Rotary cutter and mat
100% cotton fabric – pre-washed in hot water and dried on high
1/8″, 1/4″, 3/8″ or cord elastic OR Gross grain ribbon
Iron
Cut strips of fabric and elastic
The final cut size for each mask is 9″ x 14″. If your fabric is 45″ or 44″ wide, you should start by cutting 9″ strips the width of your fabric. Using a rotary cutter and mat is key to making this step quick. I cut several of these at a time from each fabric.
Then open the strips and cut the short way. Cut these at 14″ and you will have just the perfect amount for 3 masks per 9″ strip.
Cut 2 pieces of elastic to 6 1/2″ or if using elastic cord, cut to 7″ and knot the ends. If using ties, cut or make 4 ties at 25″. I make ties by cutting 3/4″ strips of fabric and folding in half and running through the serger. Using gross grain ribbon is faster.
Finish the raw edges
To make the pocket we finish the raw edges. I used a serger which is the most efficient way to finish raw edges, but you can zig zag stitch or fold over and top stitch. With the cut method described above, you will have a few edges that are finished from by the manufacturer, and those I just leave as they will not fray.
Fold into shape
Fold the fabric right sides together to create the pocket in the back by folding each finished edge about 3 1/2″ into the center. The edges will overlap about an inch. The finished size is about 6 1/2″ x 9″.
Sew
Pin the left overlap in place, and prepare the right side with either elastic or ribbon in the top and bottom corner. The elastic or ties are sewn inside making sure the elastic is flat.
Back stitch well to hold the elastic in place. Sew the right side with 1/4″ seam allowance, placing elastic in the bottom corner after sewing half way down and securing the pocket opening. Repeat for the other side.
When you are done sewing you will have this.
Press
Turn all the masks right side out through the pocket hole and press flat. There is no need to trim or cut the corners since we used 1/4″ seam allowance.
Once pressed you will want to press in all the pleats from the front side. I start by pressing the middle pleat, then folding the lower and upper pleats and pressing it all into place.
Top Stitch
After ironing all the masks with pleats, you will double top stitch them all. This is the final step to mass producing fabric face masks! I start sewing the pleats on the side the pleats are folded toward the machine. These are the more difficult pleats to sew as the machine tends to slide them out of place. I sew this side first so when I get to the easier side I can re-adjust the pleats to make them even to how there were sewn on the first side. This is how I avoid pinning the pleats and still getting an even rectangle when I’m done.
Trim the threads and you are done! I hope this method helps to show you how to mass produce fabric face masks – the easy way!
Heather Studios has started making masks to donate during the coronavirus outbreak, and here is a quick tutorial: How to make a face mask with a pocket.
Cut out the Fabric
You will need to cut 3 rectangles. The front fabric is cut to 6″ x 9″. The back is made of 2 rectangles, cut to 4″ x 9″. You can see I finished off one edge of the lining fabric, I did this the length of the strip before I cut into 9″ sections. You can fold and sew, or serge the edge to finish it off. These masks will be reused and washed often in hot water so keep that in mind.
Mask Instructions
Lay one of the lining pieces right sides together lining up the raw edges. Then lay the other lining piece, right sides together on the other edge as show below:
The finished edges of the lining fabric should overlap in the middle to create the pocket opening.
Elastic
If you are using elastic for ear or head ties you will want to lay these into the mask now prior to sewing. You can use round corded elastic or flat elastic, 1/8-1/4″ is ideal. If being used around the ear cut them 6.5″ long, if around the head cut them 10.5″ long. If you are using corded elastic, knot the ends to help hold in the mask after sewing. Below this is the around the head placement.
Elastic around the head placement
Sewing the Mask
Sew around the edges of the mask. You will be able to turn right side out through the pocket opening so sew all the way around continuously. I back stitch over the elastic and opening area.
Next, turn the mask inside out and press flat with an iron. While ironing, pinch the fabric 3 times to create the pleats and press. The pleats go in the same direction.
Top Stich
Now top stich arounf the mask twice to hold the pleats in place.
Ties
If you are making ties and not using elastic, you add these at the end. You can make ties by cuting 1 1/2″ strips of fabric the full width of the fabric (45″). Iron in half then fold the each half in again. Sew the lenght of the tie.
Then sew the middle of the tie to the front of the mask over the pleats.
Finished Product
Here are some of the finished product pictures. Thanks for contributing to your community and country by making these face masks with pockets.
Here is how I removed old caulk from the tub and tile. I recently had the pleasure of working on my rental unit, and the tub had not been taken care of properly by the tenants, it was covered in black mold all in the silicone caulk. I could not wash it off, and the caulk was very dry in many places and really needed to be replaced. This took a really long time because it was so dry and hard in many places, but after seeing the results I had to do it on my own tub too! When I purchased my home it came with a pretty ratty tub and tile job, and it was a mix of several caulks, some white, some clear, and it also had black mold imbedded in the caulk. YUCK!!!!
The tool:
First, I purchased this razor blade kit from amazon, its two tools and 3 types of blades for different jobs. There are 2 heavy duty blades, which were great for the really dry and hard caulk, 20 standard razor blades, and 10 plastic blades for delicate jobs.
This process of removing old caulk, like I said, was very
slow where the caulk was incredibly dry and hard. I broke or chipped the standard blades easily,
but I could extend the life by flipping the blade in the tool, it was sharper
on the other side. Sometimes I could get
a good roll going parallel to the tile, other times I had to dig in perpendicular
to the tile.
Also note that the tile is very resistant to scrapes and
damage, where as the tub was easily scrapped and damaged. I made sure I used a fresh blade on the tub,
and kept careful watch for when the blade was damaged enough to cause
scrapes.
My home tub was much
easier as the caulk was still flexible, and it only took me a hour to scrape
and peel off. I also did not need to
scrape the whole shower, just the tub/tile line. And wow what a difference! I’m embarrassed to show the before picture of
my tub.
For now I used a caulk strip to cover the gap. This is what I bought from amazon, however I’m not too impressed with this brand. I will be posting how I apply the silicone caulk neatly in another post.
Thanks for checking out how to remove old caulk from my tub and tile. It is a slow process, but anyone can remove old caulk from their tub and tile with the right tools and some patience. And now check out the after photos!
Thinking about a making a furniture purchase. Do you shop at an Ikea, or local big box furniture store? Or maybe order something from Wayfair or Overstock? Stop that thought process and think about buying upcycled furniture. Why? Here are 5 amazing reasons why you should buy flipped furniture, or flip it yourself!
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Yup, this first reason is an obvious one. You have an older piece of furniture hanging around your house. It doesn’t match your decor, the finish is worn and could use an update. You can toss that to the curb and buy yourself something new, or you can turn that piece around and keep it for many years to come. Save older pieces of furniture from the landfill is better for the environment and reduces our carbon foot print. We all need to do our part.
Here’s an opportunity for you to get creative and paint or refinish that tired old piece into something you will love for years to come. And if you need some inspiration check out my article on that! There is a growing trend of local small businesses making a living refinishing and flipping furniture that if this isn’t a project you want to tackle you can have done for you. And that leads me to the next point…
support local small businesses
Whether you decide to take on the flip yourself or purchase a piece from a local flipper you will be supporting local businesses. There has been an emergence of people making a living off of flipping furniture. I think many of these artists are looking for creative ways to work from home, support the environment and use their talents to make a living. They are often stay-at-home moms, artists or creative people in your local community that deserve our support. Many will take commission pieces so if you have a heirloom or that eye-sore laying around that could use a refresh, consider a local flipper.
Even if you flip the piece yourself, you can support local businesses. You can purchase a quality vintage piece from a local thrift store that supports charities in your community. Places like The Restore, Savers or Amvets all sell used furniture at a discount and support local non-profits. Some quality paints are sold in local stores like Dixie Belle and Fusion Mineral Paints. Purchasing your paints or supplies from a local hardware store can help to support local small businesses in your community as well.
Stop the disposable furniture trend
Sorry IKEA lovers! It’s hard to decorate a house or apartment especially when you are just starting out, or you don’t have a lot of cash. I get it, but buying cheap furniture doesn’t make “cents!” (Forgive my pun) They don’t withstand the test of time, and you will be buying replacement furniture in a year or two. If you are living in an apartment and planning to move or buy a house, these pieces are easily damaged and are hard to repair. They will likely end up in the trash and you will be spending more money to buy a better quality piece of furniture.
Older pieces of furniture are often of great quality. Dove tail drawers, solid wood construction and are built to last. Even battered vintage furniture can be repaired and refinished breathing new life into an old treasure. So many good reasons to buy flipped furniture that will make you feel good about your choice.
Custom Look
We have all been there, hunting every store and website for the perfect piece of furniture to fit the space, color and style of your needs. You might find a piece that meets one or two of your criteria, but misses the mark on others. Maybe you found the perfect piece but its out of your price range at a designer store.
Making that piece yourself, or commissioning it, opens up so many more options! There are so many options for furniture paint in an array of colors, or if you can’t find a pre-mixed color there are DIY recipes to make chalk paint and milk paint from regular latex paint. I have also painted furniture with latex paint and loved the results.
Get creative!
For those who love to be creative, go for it! Do a project with your kids or just because you want to paint or make some art. We all need a little more creativity in our lives and making a custom piece from a family heirloom will be something to treasure on so many levels.
Being creative isn’t for everybody, but I will argue that a job well done can make anyone feel proud. Not every furniture flip requires painting or detailed work. Many solid wood pieces need a good cleaning and oil rub to buff out the beauty. Adding peel and stick wall paper to drawers or the backing on a book shelf can transform a piece with little artistic skills.
Or, for those non-creatives, you can work with your local furniture flipper to design the piece to your liking, matching exactly to your color or decor. Pinterest has so many great ideas and inspiration, you can easily show your designer wheat you want!
I’ve see a lot of people ask, which tools are the best to have to get started in wood working. I wanted to share my 6 essential woodworking tools for a beginner wood shop that I absolutely need when working my projects. And I’ll share a few that are a bonus to have when you are ready to expand. **Disclaimer** This article contains affiliate links. Check our Privacy Policy for more info.
I’m lucky that I have a large garage for storage, and I have been doing home improvement projects for many years, so I have built my tool collection slowly overtime. I have a full toolbox at this point (maybe several), with hammers, mallets, screwdrivers, wrenches, ratchets, drill bits, putty knives, pry bars and on and on. You don’t need all these tools for woodworking, but a complete tool set with the basics is needed in addition to these 6 tools below.
This tool is my go to for cutting any wood. I have other saws, but the miter saw is so versatile. It’s very simple to use, it can make straight cuts, angled or diagonal cuts for all type of applications. Building any piece of furnoitre will be so much faster and more professional with a miter saw. Its by far my favorite tool for wood working.
I have a very simple miter saw, and I’ve had it at least 10 years. I have a similar model to this new Ryobi 10″ saw from Home Depot and it has served me well completing tasks from trim work, hardwood flooring, woodworking projects, crafts and more.
Today, I would probably opt for the next step up and get a sliding miter saw like this one instead of the one I have. These were not even an option when I bought mine. The 12″ blade will cut thicker materials, which I have run into with my wood slice ornaments. And the sliding portion allows you to cut wider planks like when I made the desk top on my Farmhouse X desk. Both of these features would be a real upgrade to the basic saw I currently own. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t actually opt for a full size sliding miter saw with stand 🙂
Power Drill
A power drill is really an essential tool to have for almost any DIY project around the home. It makes screwing a breeze but is essential for drilling any kind of holes including pocket holes. Your drill doesn’t need to be fancy, but I do recommend cordless. The last thing you want to be worried about is keeping our drill plugged in and all kids of extension cords to use it.
My drill is also 10+ years old, but have had the pleasure of using this Dewalt drill also from Home Depot. This is a really nice kit, with 2 batteries so you never have to wait for the one to charge.
Circular Saw
A circular saw a flexible tool that in many cases can be used in place of a table saw with a few other inexpensive tools to help. This tool also isn’t really an essential for a beginner or for one or two projects as in most cases your local hardware store can cut the large sheets of plywood for you, you just have to bring the measurements.
This is my low end corded circular saw from Ryobithat I purchased last year, and for the little bit that I use it, it has worked well. I prefer a corded saw, I just don’t want the loss of power or worrying about a charged battery especially since I don’t use it regularly. The benefits of cordless saw are obvious, as the cord does tend to get in the way and that would be very dangerous to cut the live cord. Ryobi offers a few cordless circular saw options that won’t break the bank!
Kreg Jig (Pocket Hole Jig)
I just love, love love my pocket hole jig. I never would have been able to build any furniture like I have without it. Now don’t get me wrong, I would also love to learn some more advanced woodworking skills, but the pocket hole jig was a great beginner tool. If you haven’t seen my Farmhouse X Desk free plans or the DIY Picture Ledge you should check them out, I made them will a Kreg Jig.
I bought the Kreg Jig K4 system and the screws in varying lengths to get started about a year ago. This system lets you easily construct strong furniture without being a master craftsman.
Clamps
Clamps are a must have to for so many DIY projects. From setting wood glue firmly, to becoming an extra set of hands during construction, they are always useful. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but a nice variety of C-clamps, trigger and spring clamps to fit the usual size project you are working on. I have a couple large bar clamps and smaller hand clamps available. Recently I was thinking that I would like to expand my collection as I’m ever needed a different size and shape.
I used these large C-clamps for the desk top after gluing and screwing. And I have some small trigger clamps I use often for my smaller projects.
Palm Sander
I’ve blown a couple palm sanders at this point, I really use these for a lot of DIY projects. Everything is better with a little sanding; I sand all my pieces of wood before connecting them to really give a professional look.
I prefer these sheet sanders to orbital sanders, solely because I don’t want to have to track down round sanding sheets. The huge contractor packs of sandpaper are economical and I can just fold and tear to the right size. Even if I bust a sander I know the paper will still fit the replacement. I think I would really like the results of a orbital sander but can’t be bothered with the replacement sheets.
This is my current sheet sander, a Ryobi corded sheet sander, and has been reliable even at this low price point. I usually buy the cheapest on the market since they tend to burn out over time.
I hope this list of 6 essential woodworking tools for the beginner workshop will help you build your first wood shop. Let me know your favorite wood shop tools in the comments below!
This Sicilian Pasta Fasoul recipe was one of my favorite dishes growing up, and quite honestly, still is. It is also my 5 year old son’s favorite dish now! My grandfather, born in Sicily, made this dish and passed it on to my mother, who past it on to me.
I have made a few changes to the recipe, my mother always used dark red kidney beans, but I prefer black beans in this recipe. I think it’s the smaller size of the bean that works better. I’m also sure my mother would have added fresh garlic, and you should too if you want!
SICILIAN PASTA FASOUL Recipe
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 can black beans – do not drain(I prefer Goya brand)
1 small onion or 1/2 large onion finely diced
1 cup chicken broth (1 boullion cube in 1 cup water)
1 lb elbow pasta cooked al dente ( I prefer Barilla)
Pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese for topping
How to prepare:
Step 1: Boil water for the pasta and cook while making the rest of the dish. Do not overcook the pasta.
Step 2: Brown the ground beef and diced onion in a large skillet.
Step 3: Add the entire can of black beans including the liquid. Cook until just boiling.
Step 4: Add the cup of broth, and return to a boil. Season to taste with pepper and salt (there’s plenty of salt in this dish with the broth and beans, I do not add any additional salt.)
Step 5: Toss in the pasta and mix to coat. Serve immediately with fresh grated parmesan cheese.
Picking new wood flooring can be so exciting, but don’t turn that into disappointment if you didn’t consider these 7 things before you choose your new flooring. And always read all the manufacturer’s instructions prior to making any final decisions on a new floor.
1. Thickness of the Flooring
Choosing the thickness of your new flooring is very important and has many different considerations. Think about the existing floor height and if you are removing old flooring in the process. If you are removing 3/4″ flooring it might be the easiest to replace with the same height flooring. Using thicker will potentially make doors not clear/close, trim to not fit back together etc. Too thin of replacement flooring can cause gapping or other repairs to be made after installation. Think about any other height constrictions including stair nosing, transitions to other rooms, door clearance, existing trim etc. You also should consider any subfloor requirements or adhesive thickness if required.
Another side of this is if you are simply covering an existing floor. In most cases this will result in the floor being higher than the surrounding floors and some planning will be necessary. What transition pieces are available in the flooring you are considering to make these look professional? In many cases doors will need to be trimmed down to adjust for the increased flooring height. Also if you are covering an existing floor check the manufacturer specifications and if your flooring can be installed over the existing floor type.
2. Consider traffic and durability
Durability and foot traffic is a very important consideration when choosing new flooring. High traffic areas will show wear and tear significantly faster than low traffic areas. Entrances, doorways, kitchens, family and living rooms will have significantly more traffic than bedrooms, or home offices. Flooring will offer warranties that should give you an indication of the durability of the product. Solid wood floors will inevitably show signs of wear and tear with dings, dents, scratches and worn finish. The ability to sand or refinish later will allow you to renew your floors with some work later on. Engineered or laminate floors might withstand damage longer and had additional durability but might not have the ability to be refinished in the future.
Kitchens, bathrooms and basements have additional considerations since they need to have additional water and stain resistant properties. Wood floors are not recommended for bathrooms or wet basements. An engineered product might have special properties to resist water damage. Kitchen in recent years have seen wood floors successfully installed. Additional sealers or topcoats might be applied to boost the floors stain and water-resistant properties and increase durability.
3. Floor installation Method
Modern flooring has several installation techniques. There are floating floors, click lock, tongue and groove, stapled, nailed or glued. Read manufactures recommendations to understand recommended installation methods.
Floating floors are an easy installation since it does not require stapling, nailing or gluing. These floorboards lock together and float above the existing floor. These are generally a laminate product and can sound hollow or move under foot if the subfloor and underlayment are not correct.
Click lock floors can be floating floors or might require a glued installation. The click in place system is easy for a DIY’er to install.
Tongue and groove is common for solid wood and engineered wood floors. These require nailing, staples or glue, but will produce beautiful results. Additional tools and installation time are required but the resulting floor will be a quality floor that will look and sound beautiful under foot.
4. DIY or hire a pro
DIY’ers or homeowners can install any of these products successfully with the right tools, planning and time. Generally, a self-installed job will take longer as the installer gets the hang of the process, tools and planning required.
Not all homeowners want to tackle such a large project, or don’t have the tools or time. Consider hiring a professional flooring company or installer in this case. Obtain quotes for several companies, ask questions and for references from any company you are considering hiring. Also, understand the payment schedule and do not agree to pay for the job in full until it is 100% complete.
5. underlayment
Underlayment options have grown considerably in recent years. There are several types available, thin to thick, plastic to fabric, offering additional benefits like soundproofing (muffling). Consider what of these types or benefits would work for your installation and check that against the manufacturer’s instructions for compatibility. Underlayment might add cost to the project, but the benefits of a long-lasting quiet installation will make it worth the investment.
6. Board width
Board width is important for 2 main reasons. The first being the style or aesthetic desired for the finish project. Thicker floorboards are a more recent desirable look falling into the popular farmhouse trend. Thinner boards are a more classic look, not trending as much as wider flooring today. The second consideration is installation time. Wider boards install significantly faster than thinner. If this is a DIY project, the homeowner can save hours to days’ worth of installation time by choosing a thick board.
7. Direction of the boards
One of the hardest decisions is choosing the direction of the floorboards. Designers generally agree that that running boards away from the entrance can make the room look bigger, as it runs the eye to elongate the space. In the same idea, running the boards the long way in the room and make it look longer vs running the boards the short wall making the room look smaller. Think about running boards diagonal or creating a boarder for additional design ideas. Whichever way you choose, make the conscious choice (and don’t let the installer choose) and you should be happy.
This cute rustic wood hanging shelf is so easy to make and is a great project for scrap pieces of wood.
I made this cute hanging wood shelf to sit above the Farmhouse X Desk I build some time ago. I stained the wood to match in Minwax Honey stain with a clear gloss poly over the top.
Here is what you need:
2 squares of scrap wood, one about 2″ the other about 5″
metal hook screw
jute twine
drill/bit
sandpaper
stain/paint if desired
How to build the rustic hanging shelf
Step 1: Drill holes for the twine in the larger wood block. Drill one hole in each corner, evenly spaced. I placed the holes about 3/4″ from the edges and used a 1/8″ bit. You want to be careful not to place the holes too close to the edges, it will make the wood weak.
Step 2: Smooth the wood blocks with 220 grit sandpaper. Pay extra attention to the drill holes to smooth any splintering in the wood. Feel free to get creative with the finish, you can make a weathered look, or a more polished smooth finish.
Step 3: Screw in the metal hook in the center of the small wood square. Use a small dot of wood glue to hold it in place. Wipe away any excess glue with a damp cloth before it dries.
Step 4: Cut four pieces of twine 2.5 times the desired length of the shelf. If you want the shelf to hang 2′, cut the twine at 5′. Then run the ends of 2 pieces together through 2 of the bottom holes on one side. Repeat the same for the other side and knot them evenly at the bottom of the shelf.
I also have a post with instructions for the picture ledge shown above.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and I have created some printables below that you can use in your arts and crafts!
These printables can be used for cards, gift tags, wall art and more. Let me know if you like the printables and if there are other printables you want to see!
Click on the download link below each image to download in .pdf format.
Installing hardwood flooring is not as difficult as it might seem, nor does it require as much skill as one might think. Here is my simple how to install hardwood flooring from my experience installing these wood floors in my bedroom and hallway.
Beautiful DIY installed hardwood floors
When I bought my fixer upper, there was the most hideous multi blue color carpet with giant stains and awful pet smells. That was not something I could not live with! I tore up the carpet and padding to expose the 3/4″ particle board sub floor over planks. My choices at this point were that I could remove the particle board and install standard thickness hardwood floors in its place, or I could leave the subfloors and install a thin wood floor. I opted to save myself some time and money and chose a 5/16″ thick floor from Bruce. Since this was the top floor of the house, I felt that these floors would not get a lot of traffic or damage. If I was installing floors in the living room or at the front door, I would have made a different decision.
What you will need
wood floor of your choice
compressor
Stapler or floor nailer
underlayment
nail set, hammer, and other hand tools
tape measure
chalk line
chop saw
table saw
dovetail or jamb saw
Home Depot has all you need for your home improvement projects
Before you begin
Take some time to plan out your room and flooring. I made my decision based on what was best for the space (not wanting to raise the floor height much) and what was the most reasonably priced. That meant a thin wood floor that was only 2″ wide. I cannot sand these floors down later as with 3/4″ wood floors (manufacturer says they can withstand one sanding.) Also choosing this 2″ width means you use more staples and the installation is extremely slow. You move along at 2″ at a time. A wide plank of 4-5″ or more would have installed in a fraction of the time.
Spend some time thinking about the finish as well. Flooring can come prefinished or bare wood. The prefinished planks are slightly more expensive, but really are worth it in the long run saving lots of time, mess and money not having to finish the floors at the end. Unfinished floors need to be sanded (expensive and messy) prior to staining and sealing. Personally, I would always opt for a prefinished board.
Also plan the direction the wood planks will run, parallel or perpendicular to the entrance. Many designers recommend that the boards run away from the entrance of the room as this perspective makes the room look bigger. I also chose to run my boards the long way in the room since it was a long and narrow room.
Lastly, read the instructions for the flooring you purchased. There are so many wood and engineered products and they will each have different recommendations for installation and tools. The thin engineered floor I chose were Bruce American Originals Deep Russet Oak 5/16 in. T x 2-1/4 in. W x Varying L Solid Hardwood Flooring.
Bruce American Originals Deep Russet Oak 5/16 in. T x 2-1/4 in. W x Varying L Solid Hardwood Flooring from The Home Depot
This flooring needed to be stapled to the floor per the manufacturer’s instructions. Wood floor cleats would damage the wood and not allow the tongue and groove to sit properly. I had to do some research to find the right stapler size and purchased this Bostitch stapler. You can rent staplers or nailers but the slow installation time made the rental more expensive than just buying the stapler. I could also do the work at my own pace without the clock ticking on the rental.
Step 1 – Prepare the floor
This means cleaning all debris, removing any nails or staples protruding from the floor (or hammering them flush.) Floors need to be as smooth and level as possible. Any major bumps, divots or holes will be noticeable in the finished floor and will make installing the tongue an groove impossible in some cases. I also removed the covers for the baseboard heaters so I could get the wood underneath for a finished look.
Step 2 – Lay the underlayment
I used a roll of black roofing paper for my underlayment. There are so many options now for underlayment, and check with the manufacturer of your wood flooring for any recommendations. There is also sound proofing underlayment to reduce the noise heard below if that is a concern for you.
Step 3 – Square the floor and mark your straight line
This in my opinion is the most difficult and important step. This will greatly affect the rest of the installation and overall look of the floors. If the first row is not straight, it will make the rest of the install very difficult as you will be trying to bend boards to fit your curved line. Also if this is not in square with your room your floors will look crooked or diagonal.
First measure your room for square. Most interior walls have the chance to be slightly off center since they are installed by hand. Exterior walls have a greater chance to be straight and square. Depending on your room you might have a small or large distance to try to square in the room. My room was only about 3/4″ off square which isn’t too bad for a 15′ room. I could easily work that in without the eye noticing on the finished product. I used the exterior wall to mark my chalk line.
Step 4 – Lay your first Row of boards
To lay the first row you will top nail the board into the floor. I used a pneumatic finish nailer. Pick the longest and straightest boards for the first row. Line the boards to your chalk line and nail straight down to the floor from the face of the board. It’s very important that this line is straight, which is why using long straight boards is important in this step. Since I had the baseboard heat in this room this board will be completely covered and the nails will not be noticeable at all.
DIY hardwood floor installation
Step 5 – Nail or staple boards
Now is the fun part! You can begin to lay rows of flooring. Plan your wood pieces 1-3 rows in advance. Open several packages of flooring and take wood from each box to make sure that any variations are blended into the floors’ final look. Also inspect each board for imperfections prior to installation. This thinner wood had more imperfections than other thicker wood floors, so to try to minimize the waste, I would cut off the imperfections and use that to begin or end a row.
The next few rows you might find that you do not have enough room to fit the stapler or nailer. I chose to hand nail finish nails into the tongue. Installers may use a finish nailer into the tongue, but this wood was so thin I took the time to hand nail. A nail set allowed me to slightly sink the nail into the tongue without damaging it.
Make sure you cut each end and beginning piece and don’t leave the tongue or groove when starting or ending a row. Also use a spacer between the wall and flooring that will allow for expansion in hot humid weather according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep this space as even as possible to make finishing the job with trim easier with a consistent distance to cover. My first flooring project (years ago) I was sloppy with the wall spacers and had to do a lot of work to cover the varying space with trim and quarter round.
DIY hardwood floor installation
The tongue and groove is designed to fit tightly on all sides of the board. Keep these boards as tight as possible and use a scrap piece as a tap board with a mallet to kick the piece tight prior to stapling. Do not use the mallet directly on the board you are installing as it will damage the tongue and groove.
You may also have door jambs to work around. I had a closet door and the entry door as I finished up the room. Instead of trying to cut the wood floor around the door jam, there is a special saw that will allow you to cut the jam above the floor height so the wood will slide underneath and create a professional look. This is the saw I used, Stanley Fatmax Dovetail Saw, which was reversable. Use a scrap piece of flooring to set your height and saw away the bottom of the door jam and trim.
Step 6 – Installing the last row
As you get close to the wall you will find that your stapler or nailer will not fit. As with the first few rows, I hand nailed finish nails into the tongue.
The last row will often need to be ripped to a thinner width to fill the distance to the wall. Measure and mark your boards and this last row will also need to be face nailed.
Step 7 – Finish with Trim
Finish the job with some beautiful trim and replace the baseboard covers. Don’t forget to stand and admire all your hard work!
