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Hardwood floor installation requires a lot of patience and some expertise but it does not have to be so difficult that you avoid the project altogether. In this article, we wanted to provide you with some information so you can decide if you need to hire a professional or do the work yourself. Typically, many types of hardwood floor installation processes do require the expertise of a professional but because of the many newer styles, people who have some skill in home improvement can also end up with an exceptional floor.
Since the cost for hardwood floors is usually a nice investment, you obviously want to do all you can to make sure the project is as perfect as possible. If you think you want to try doing the hardwood floor installation on your own, it is crucial that you read all the instructions that come from the manufacturer. The reason is that while flooring may look alike, each manufacturer has its own method for installation. Typically, professional installers will start the hardwood floor installation process using a focal point in the room. As an example, if the hardwood flooring were going to be installed in a family room with a fireplace, then the fireplace would become the focal point. With this, the installer knows where to start the hardwood floor installation. For instance, the border would be installed first around the hearth, followed by a decorative border, being laid on the rest of the floor. The reason for this is that the completed installation process would be symmetrical. Just remember that prior to the first board being laid a chalk line needs to be snapped. This will create a reference point, again to make the completed floor symmetrical. Now, for the first row of boards, these should be aligned even with the chalk line to ensure the remaining rows all come out even. Many times, boards are cut in various or random lengths. Therefore, before you start nailing any board to the floor, you should determine how you want them to fit together. A great rule is that all the joints should be a minimum of 12 inches distance. Finally, an excellent way to hide fasteners is to use blind tongue and groove boards. For this, the fastener would be driven through the tongue, which is then covered up using the following adjacent board. However, you will find that some hardwood floor installation processes drive the nails through the top board, which is known as face nailing although some boards are glued. |
Installation and Care