Hardwood flooring installation can be a difficult and time consuming job, but if you feel comfortable giving it a go personally, you may potentially end up saving quite a considerable amount of money.  Properly installed hardwoods can last for several years, even under wet and humid conditions, such as in a bathroom.  With a little advice and a step by step guide, as well as plenty of time, hardwood flooring installation can be done without expensive professional services. 

Moisture causes the most damage to hardwood flooring.  Moisture can eventually lead to the warping and cracking of the surface as it expands and contracts.  This does not imply, however, that hardwood flooring cannot be installed in humid conditions.  Hardwood flooring simply requires a little preventive care in order to function well under these conditions.  Installing hardwood with an asphalt felt should provide a guarantee against rotting and warping of the hardwood.  Take 15 pound asphalt felt, and put it over the subfloor in overlapping sections.  The felt should be secured with a staple gun.

Leave a minor space, around half an inch, between the asphalt felt and the wall.  A baseboard or base shoe will be secured in these smaller spaces between the flooring and the wall.  The first three boards of the flooring should be placed by hand.  Board lengths are usually random, so portions of the flooring should be placed as a test before nailing down.  When the first boards are placed, the remainder can be set with a flooring nailer.  This will make it easier to do a good job of laying out the flooring. 

When the new flooring creates an uneven surface, you can use a reducer to create a level surface.  When preparing hardwood flooring installation, be sure to safely store the wood.  Storing the wood out in the open where it can get wet will lead to uneven flooring that does not fit together.  If the flooring must be stored outdoors, be sure to cover it with a waterproof tarp.  This will reduce any possible damage from moisture, which can warp and bend expensive wood flooring very quickly.  Do not transport wood flooring in an open bed when weather conditions could give rise to rain or high humidity.

Related posts:

  1. Wood Flooring – A Simple Guide
  2. Flooring – An Overview
  3. Traditional Oak Hardwood Flooring

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