How to Install Hardwood Floor & Subflooring

Hardwood flooring is available in many species, board widths, colors, and either finished or unfinished. While 3/4 unfinished red oak is the most widely available, there are many other types of hardwood flooring available, typically by special order, including brazillian cherry, mahogany, walnut, maple, white oak, hickory, bamboo, and many exotic woods from Africa and Asia. Keep in mind that thicker hardwood flooring can be refinished many more times than a thinner hardwood flooring.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 3/4 plywood subflooring (one 4x8 sheet = 32 square feet) Hardwood flooring (10% more than the total number of square footage) Flooring stapler or nailer (pneumatic or manual) Pneumatic finish nailer Finish nails Air compressor Air hose Nails or staples Miter saw Circular saw Jig Saw Drill 2 inch drywall screws Pry bar or other wrecking bar Plastic flooring spacers Colored wood filler

1. Remove the old plywood subflooring with a pry bar or other wrecking bar to expose the floor joists. Lay the new 3/4-inch plywood subflooring over the exposed floor joists and screw the subfloor down with 2 inch drywall screws and a drill. Place a screw every 6 inches along the floor joists.
   Walk over the subflooring to check for subflooring squeeks. Place a few screws into the floor joists where the floor squeeks to stop the squeek.

2. Place the first few lengths of flooring onto the floor against the wall. Place plastic flooring spacers in between the hardwood flooring and the wall to allow for expansion of the hardwood flooring. With the first piece of hardwood flooring in place, use the finish nailer to face-nail the flooring to the subfloor according to manufacturer specifications. Repeat this process until the flooring is far enough from the wall to begin using the flooring stapler or nailer.

3. Begin using the flooring stapler or nailer, and the accompanying rubber mallet, to install the flooring when there is enough clearance between the wall and the flooring to do so.
   Place the next piece of hardwood flooring next to the face-nailed flooring and close the gap between the tongue of the installed flooring and the groove of the next piece of flooring by tapping it with the mallet. Place the flooring stapler or nailer on top of the flooring and hit the trigger with the mallet. The stapler or nailer will shoot the flooring and staple or nail the flooring into place.
   Repeat this process until there is no more room to do so on the opposite side of the room. Then face-nail the rest of the flooring in the same manner as before.

4. Fill any large gaps or cracks with colored wood filler when all of the flooring is installed.
   Allow the filler to dry completely.

Tips & Warnings

• Hardwood flooring manufacturers may specify using staples or nails during installation. Find out what is required in order to keep warranty coverage on the flooring. Wider (5 1/4-inch) flooring will install faster than narrower (2 1/4-inch) flooring.

[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!