How to Put Down Hardwood Floors

Is your carpet looking old? Just pull it up and get rid of all those nasty germs, replacing it with hardwood floors. Hardwood flooring is very easy and convenient to keep clean. This article will guide you in the installation of your new hardwood floor.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pliers
• Air compressor
• Hardwood flooring of your choice
• Nails
• Red rosin paper
• Oriented Strand Board
• Pneumatic nail gun
• Hammer
• Measuring tape
• Glue gun
• Staple gun
• Staples

Preparation

1. Remove all carpet that is currently on the floors, making sure to remove all tack bars also.

2. Sweep over the floors just in case you missed a tack, and to clear any debris.

3. Apply the oriented strand board (OSB), onto the subfloors with a regular glue gun.

4. Staple the red rosin paper to the OSB.

Installing

5. Due to the changes of weather, your flooring may expand or contract due to the temperature. Helping to prevent it from happening take a pencil and put a mark 3/8 inch away from the baseboard where every floor joint is located.

6. On the longest wall is where you want to begin. Placing the hardwood flooring perpendicular on the baseboard where you have drew up mark.

7. With a hammer and a nail, nail the hardwood flooring down to the sub-floor.

8. Continue constructing the tongue and groove flooring, using the pneumatic nail gun you rented from the local hardware store to ensure they stay in place.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure you put enough nails into the floors so assuring they will not move over periods.
• Make sure you purchase extra when you buy the flooring, you never know if you might make a mistake.
• Make sure you use pliers when taking up the tack bars.
• Employ safety measures when using machinery, tips should come with them for safety.

[samuelsmith10]

on 7/24/2009 If you are learning to install hardwood flooring, there is a very helpful website that I have bookmarked. It's www.oakfloorinstallation.com It provides great tips on pitfalls and problems you might face and talks about acclimation, undercutting the door jamb, preping the subfloor, testing moisture content, etc. Check it out!