How to Install Real Wood Flooring

Install real wood flooring in your house in just one to two days.

Solid wood flooring is one of the single most durable and beautiful flooring materials in use in the construction industry. Wood flooring comes in a number of different grain patterns, as well as wood colors to suit any need. The average do-it-yourself homeowner can install real wood flooring in one to two days, depending on the size and scope of the project.

Things You'll Need

• Tar paper
• Chalk line
• Drill
• Floor nailer
• 3/4-inch-thick wood flooring

Instructions

1. Cover your wood subfloor with tar paper. Allow the paper to overlap by 6 inches, and attach the paper using galvanized staples.

2. Begin your first row of wood flooring running across your floor joists. Make a reference mark on the walls at the location of each floor joist are located, then snap chalklines across your felt paper to connect the marks. Running your wood flooring planks across the floor joists will allow you to attach the wood flooring through the plywood subflooring and into the floor joists, making the installation stronger.

3. Snap a reference line 3/4 inch off of the wall where you began your first row of flooring. This will serve as your reference line for the first strip of wood flooring. It will help you keep the flooring straight, especially since most walls are not completely straight.

4. Pre-drill and face nail the first three rows of wood flooring, with the tongue facing away from the wall. You will do this because your floor nailer will not fit onto the flooring when it sits less than 4 inches off of the wall. Stagger your wood flooring joints; staggered joints will make the completed floor stronger.

5. Tap the remaining wood flooring grooves onto the tongues of the previous pieces with a rubber mallet, and place a wood flooring nailer onto the edge of the flooring strip. The nailer will force a staple into the front of the wood flooring strip at an angle. Place about four staples into each piece of wood---except in pieces shorter than 2 feet, in which case you will place two staples.

6. Rip your wood flooring when you reach the opposite wall in order to finish the flooring installation. In this case, you might end up with a need of a strip of wood that narrower than the factory width---usually 2.25 inches. If your remaining space measures 1.25 inches, rip 1 inch off of your final strip. Pre-drill and face nail the last three rows of wood flooring.

7. Add quarter-round molding around the edges of the flooring at the walls to cover gaps between the flooring and the walls.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wear safety glasses when working with floor nailers.

References

• "Hardwood Floors: Laying, Sanding and Finishing;" Don Bollinger; 1990