Tips For Hardwood Floor Installation

Deciding on whether or not to take on a project like hardwood floor installation may require some thought. This is not a difficult DIY project and in most cases can be completed on one weekend. However, some important issues must be addressed before one begins the project.

Hardwood floor installation takes time and focus. When it must be repeated because it has be placed in an inappropriate area one can quickly begin to lost the money that was saved in doing it yourself. Hardwood floors should never be placed in areas where water can leak and seep onto and through them for any period of time. In some cases a leaking faucet has ruined an entire floor when an individual has been gone for a day while a faucet was leaking. When a piece of hardwood gets wet it seeps to the next plank. When left for an entire day all of the planks on a wood floor can become damaged and ruined.

Solid hardwood floors are best used in areas where there is not heavy foot traffic. These types of floor scratch and do not take the beating of engineered wood. When hardwood floor installation takes place in the appropriate areas of a home they will remain beautiful for several years with minimal effort.

Installation of the flooring is not difficult and does not require a lot of tools or special training. The challenge is in preparing a surface for the flooring. Often if one is removing vinyl or some other material that has been glued to a concrete slab with adhesive there are special tools involved. In some cases one will need to rent an electric chisel to remove the adhesive. Following removal of all the debris the area will need to be evened and properly prepared for installation of the flooring.

Properly preparing a surface for hardwood installation can take a number of hours or no time at all depending on the surface that is being prepared and how much repair must be done to make the area suitable for installation. It is important when cleaning a floor that no oil based cleaners be used as this is very bad for the hardwood that will be installed on the surface area.

Most people choose engineered hardwood when they decide that they are ready for hardwood installation. Normally a slice of wood veneer is affixed to a piece of plywood which has the proper grooves cut in it. These floors are very durable and can withstand a lot of abuse. However, they are still very susceptible to water damage.

Solid wood flooring is made from a single slice of hardwood. This wood is beautiful but also requires extra cared. Many times after installation individuals paint polyurethane over the flooring to seal the wood. When performing hardwood floor installation on a concrete slab it is important to get a moisture meter to assure that no moisture will seep into the wood from the concrete. If there is moisture indicated an individual can purchase a lay of moisture resistant material which lays between the surface and the flooring and keeps it dry.

Most DIY'ers will have the tools needed to install a hardwood floor in their garage. If a tool is needed it is possible to rent or lease most tools from a DIY shop for the period of time needed to install the floor.

It is important that all materials for the hardwood floor installation be collected and put in one location so that they are accessible. The project is not hard but will need uninterrupted time to complete successfully.