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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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!
