Hardwood Floor & Stairs Installation
It's easy to see why so many people love the warmth and beauty of hardwood floors and stairs. In addition to looking great, hardwood is also a good flooring choice for those with allergies, since it doesn't harbor dust, mold and mites like carpet does. Here are some must-know facts to help you through your hardwood floor and stairs installation. Does this Spark an idea?
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Do-It-Yourself or Professional Installation?
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Installing your hardwood floor and stairs yourself will save you $2 to $8 per square foot. It's a relatively easy DIY project, too, although installing stairs can be tricky. With proper preparation, you can complete a hardwood floor (in one room) and hardwood stairs in one weekend.
Floor Tools
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For the floor part of your hardwood floor and stairs installation project, you'll need a number of tools. If you don't already own them, rent or buy a circular saw and a drill or driver. You'll also need these non-power tools: hammer, utility knife, putty knife, tape measure, caulking gun, straight edge, pry bar and yard broom. A long-handled scraper is another necessity if you're removing an old floor; it's used to pry up the old boards.
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Floor Materials
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Materials for the project include rags, ½-inch wood spacers, wood floor glue, leveling compound, pencils and damp sponges. Don't forget about safety---protective eyewear is a good idea when you're using power tools. For the actual floors, you need floor boards, underlayment, vapor barrier and moldings.
Stair Tools
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As for the stair portion of your hardwood floor and stairs installation project, you'll need a miter saw, grinder and finish nailer. Other tools you should have are a tape measure, level and rubber mallet.
Stair Materials
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Besides the tools for the stairs, you'll also need sandpaper, a broom, polyurethane finish (if your treads aren't prefinished) and construction adhesive. You'll craft your stairs using 10½-inch-deep treads with a 1½-inch bullnose and hardwood risers, so put those on your list as well.
Tips
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