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How To Fit Hardwood Flooring
Installing hardwood flooring is an extremely rewarding job, and if done correctly, will last for years to come. There are many types of wood to choose from that are now used in hardwood flooring and also many different forms of finishes, depending on the look you want to achieve, and how much maintenance you are willing to undertake. One of the most common types of wood used in solid wood flooring is Oak, and is available in many different varieties such as natural, smoked, brushed, oiled, nougat, distressed, and even honey.
You'll need the following tools to help complete the job of laying hardwood flooring successfully: a panel saw, or preferably a circular saw or jigsaw, a carpenter's set square, a tape measure, a wooden or plastic mallet, a hammer, a small block of spare timber, eye protection, rubber gloves, and for the very safety conscious, knee-pads. If you're laying your hardwood floor on top of a concrete floor, you may need to do some surface preparation first, to ensure the concrete is level. You can test for irregularities in the surface of a concrete floor by placing a baton across the floor. Generally speaking, anything deeper than 3mm is considered in need of filling, using a self-levelling compound available from all good tile and wood flooring specialists.
Before you get started, don't forget to purchase your hardwood flooring in advance, and leave it in the room you're planning to lay it in, at least 48 hours before you come to the actual fitting. This is due to the fact that wood (as especially solid wood flooring), is a natural material, and will react to changes in temperature by either expanding or contracting.
Once you have a nice level surface – or ‘sub-floor' – for your hardwood flooring, you then need to lay your underlay. There different forms of underlay available depending on the surface you're looking to lay the timber onto. It is advisable to lay specific underlay for concrete floors for example, that are designed to help with damp proofing. Applying underlay is a simple job, and you can even purchase self-adhesive underlay, which makes the process even simpler. Always lay your underlay at a 90 degree angle to your flooring planks to help reduce any potential movement. Also, don't make the mistake of sticking your self-adhesive underlay to your sub-floor! The sticky-side is designed to lie face-up, and stick to the hardwood flooring itself, thus resulting in a ‘floating floor' since the hardwood flooring is technically not attached to your sub-floor at all. When laying your underlay, be careful to ensure that none of the layers overlap, as this will cause bumps in your floor when you come to lay the boards. You can use ordinary masking tape to hold the pieces of underlay together. Leave a 10mm expansion gap between the pieces of underlay, and also between the underlay and walls.
You can now start to peel the protective film away from the underlay, and begin laying the hardwood flooring planks as you go - don't forget to use spacers to allow for wood expansion. You may find that your planks vary between the packs you have; if so, try mixing up the planks between the packs to create an evenly ‘random' aesthetic. If you're fitting easy-fit flooring, don't forget to start your first row with the ‘tongue' facing the wall (plus the spacers).
Once you've got to the end of your row, you may need cut your hardwood flooring boards to allow them to fit into your room space. If so, using your set square, mark at a 90 degree angle to the plank where you need to cut the board. Then, using whichever saw (previously mentioned) that you have available, cut the wood along the line you've marked, ensuring that you make the cut on the reverse side of the plank to remove the risk of any damage or scratching being done to the surface of the board. Don't forget to keep any offcuts you may have left after cutting in case they come in handy at another point of the fitting! You should hopefully by now have everything you need to complete the job and leave you with a beautiful new solid wood floor!
About the Author
Topps Tile's offers a wide range of high-quality Hardwood flooring, and offer expert advice on how to install and maintain your floor.
African Art: Mask Performance in the Bwa Village of Boni, Burkina Faso