How To Install Hardwood Floor Panels With The Nail Down Method

There are a variety of methods for installing hardwood flooring. The nail down technique of laying hardwood floors has become very popular. For those learning how to install hardwood floor, there's no simpler or straightforward technique than the nail down technique.

Unlike other methods which basically require you to be an amateur carpenter or even a professional carpenter, the nail down method on how to install hardwood flooring can be accomplished by anyone who can swing a hammer. Well, that's not all it takes.

You also have to be persistent, patient, and willing to try new things if you want to learn how to install hardwood floor. Also, you need to be willing to read the safety instructions that come with the tools you'll be using.

-Tools You'll Need as Your Learn How to Install Hardwood Floor Panels

Broom and Dust Pan - You need to clean up constantly as you learn how to install hardwood floor to make sure no dirt, sawdust, or other debris get caught in between the grooves or under the boards.

Carpenter's Crayon - Use this to create guidelines on your sub floor. You'll also need it to draw lines where you'll cut your hardwood panels.

Claw Hammer - Any areas near obstacles or walls where you can't get enough space to swing a rubber mallet will have to be reached with your claw hammer.

Cutter Knife - Use this often for unforeseen activities involved as you learn how to install hardwood floor. But the main purpose of this device will be to cut out any excess wood when adjustments of only a millimeter or two need to be made.

Electric Drill and 3/32" Drill Bit - Use this to drill your pilot holes, which should be slightly smaller in length and circumference than your nails. This will prevent your flooring panels from cracking when you put the nails in them.

Hardwood Flooring Nails (2") - These nails are important because they will be what hold your floor in place.

Nailer - This can either be a hammer or pneumatic nail gun. The pneumatic nail gun is obviously faster and easier, but you have to get it calibrated just right so that the nails don't go too far down into the wood and destroy your hardwood panels.

Rubber Mallet - This is your chance to pound your frustrations out as you learn how to install hardwood floor. Actually, you should pound them out gently to bring the surfaces of the two panels together perfectly. You don't want to get them too far apart or your floor will have crevices. But if you pound them too hard together, you can damage them or push them so far together as to bow them.

Circular Saw - At the end of each row of boards as you go into the corner, you will need to cut your floor panels to fit. Any fixtures in the room will also have to be cut around.

-Preparing to Install Hardwood Floor Panels

Although the nail down method of installing hardwood floor panels is pretty simple, it should still be done carefully as the hardwood floor has to endure for many years in whatever form you complete it.

All of the furniture and obstacles that can be removed from the room should be removed while you install your hardwood floor panels. This is true even if it requires manual dismantling and reassembly. For those fixtures build into the floor of the room, you'll just have to panel around them.

It's not the easiest way to go, but you have to do what you have to do to get your hardwood floor installed. If you have door sills, an old hardwood floor, baseboards, or carpet, remove them before you begin as well.

If the surface beneath where you will be flooring is cement or any other lumpy material, use a felt floor liner to cover this surface. Then install a plywood sub-floor over it. Once laid, you should be ready to begin installing the hardwood floor.

-Steps on How to Install Hardwood Floor Panels

1. Put your first floor panel in the corner of the room in which you have decided to start your flooring. The grooves should be toward the wall and the tongues should be toward the room.

2. Start adding panels to make a row. The last panel shouldn't quite fit right, so you'll have to use that carpenter's crayon to mark where to cut it. Use your circular saw to cut it. Be very careful not to cut it too small. The fitting needs to be just about perfect.

3. Use your drill to make your little pilot holes. Put the nails in to fasten your floor down. Though it will take longer, you'll be thankful when you're done if you used pilot holes when you're learning how to install hardwood floor.

4. Grab the other half of the panel you cut off the row you just completed and use it as the starting point for the next row. This will seem strange at first, but when the floor is completed, the offset of the boards will look really nice. Additionally, if all of your boards matched up, the floor won't have interlocked strength.

5. Continue on doing this as you go through the remaining rows. Use the rubber mallet as necessary to make the boards and rows nice and snug. When the rubber mallet won't fit, use the claw hammer to pull the boards tight. The last things you need are some giant crevices between your boards when you've finished your new hardwood floor.

6. The last panel is the hardest one to get put in place, but your floor will look really awful if you hurry at this step. You need to patiently measure, cut, and make your last panel fit.

7. Clean the floor you just laid.

-Cleaning Up After You Install Hardwood Floor Panels

In the process of how to install hardwood floors, cleaning up is important and overlooked enough to warrant its own follow-up section. But unlike other nail down method guides on how to install hardwood floor panels, we want to make sure you understand this step.

Cleaning up is important because there are little wood chips and saw dust everywhere after the typical hardwood floor installation. Use your broom and dust pan to pick up any debris on the floor. These particles, if walked on and rubbed on by furniture, can make your brand new floor look like a scratched up old floor pretty quickly.

Unless you went beyond the instructions on how to install hardwood floors and used glue on your hardwood panels, there's no need to get your floor wet before it has had a chance to settle. This is because you don't want it to swell before you've moved the furniture back in and given it a couple days to get itself in its final arrangement.

-Special Tips Add-On on How to Install Hardwood Floor Panels

Don't get too aggressive when putting your hardwood flooring in place. It's very easy to ruin the surface of floor panels when they're floating freely and you're placing them and pounding on them. Be especially careful when fixing a row that looks a little bit off.

If your rubber mallet is sturdy enough, it'll be the best thing to put nails in because it won't do as much damage to the surface of your floor panels.

Your nailed down floor probably isn't going to be quite as nice as the one installed by a professional. On the other hand, it's going to look pretty nice on its own. It will probably be about the nicest looking job an inexperienced hardwood floor installer can do. And if you change your mind about the floor, it's one of the easiest hardwood floor installation methods to undo.

But besides being easy to install and uninstall, nailed down hardwood floor has some usage advantages over other types. The main advantage to keep in mind is that a glued down floor is rigid; once a floor panel is dried in place, it's there for good whether it's snug to the next panel over or not. The loose floor isn't attached to anything and can be creaky, bubbly, and move around. So enjoy your new well-fixed hardwood floor.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/how-to-install-hardwood-floor-panels-with-the-nail-down-method-326212.html

Instructions On How To Install Floating Hardwood Floor Panels

Have you ever wondered how to install hardwood floor panels to make your home beautiful inside? There are many methods of installing hardwood flooring currently in use. One of the best do it yourself hardwood floors is the floating hardwood floor. The term floating doesn't refer to a floor that is sitting in liquid. Floating means that, while the floor is fastened to itself, it is not fastened down to the subsurface.

A floating hardwood floor has some disadvantages you should be aware of before proceeding with your installation. These floors will sometimes feel like you're walking on a bubble. And, each bubble you step on will have a creaky sound.

On the other hand, those bubbles give the floor a much softer feel than a well-fastened hardwood floor. And, the floating floor is much easier to maintain. Best of all, it is one of the cheapest types of hardwood floors to install.

Before continuing with the installation of a floating hardwood floor, we highly recommend that you consider using oak as your hardwood floor material. Oak looks beautiful and provides lasting durability.

-Tools Needed to Install a Floating Hardwood Floor

Broom and Dust Pan - It is important to keep everything clean as you go. It is particularly important to keep the saw dust out from under and between your panels where it can really throw things off kilter. If it gets in there, there is no way to get it out without the very difficult process of hardware floor disassembly.

Carpenter's Crayon - You'll have to cut up your panels to make them fit in the corners and make them go around objects that cannot be removed from the room having the hardwood floor installed. You may also want to use your carpenter's crayon to mark a layout pattern of where to place your flooring panels.

Circular Saw - Your saw is what you will use as you cut along the lines you drew with your carpenters crayon.

Claw hammer - In most places, you will use a rubber mallet to help push the boards together, but in those places near the wall where you don't have enough room to swing the mallet, you can use the claw hammer to fit them together.

Cushioning Surface - You can make your floating hardwood floor feel even softer to the feet with the use of a cushioning surface under the floor. You would be shocked by the difference between a floor with the surface and a floor without the surface if you could try the two side by side.

Cutter Knife - The cutter knife comes in handy in more places than you would expect as you work on your floor. But the main reason we recommend this tool is so that you can make minor cuts on the panel ends when you just can't quite make them fit together.

Glue - Floating hardwood floors aren't supposed to be glued together. However, you might find you get better results if you just put a bit of glue at the end of each panel as you connect them. Of course, this will mean you'll need to be very careful not to get any glue on your floor surface.

Nails - You will need to nail the floating floor to the wall strips. It may help to use a drill to do pilot holes to prevent the wood from splitting, but if you're a gambler, you can just hammer these nails in without pilot holes. Most people do that anyways.

Rubber Mallet - The rubber mallet is what you use to fit the panels together at the joints. However, you need to be very careful not to hit the panels too hard and damage the panel surfaces.

-Preparing to Install Floating Hardwood Floor Panels

Before you install your floating hardwood floor panels, you need to get your cushioning sheet installed. You can use your cutter knife to make it fit. Some people find that making it into many small pieces is much more manageable than trying to fit a large piece in the room. These pieces should be laid in the same direction as your panel rows.

One of the nice parts of using a cushioning sheet is that debris on the sheet or lumps in the surface below it have a less dramatic effect on the floor. However, you should still try to get all of these straightened out to the extent you can see them.

For debris, just use your broom and dust pan to remove them. It's not such a big of a one-time task when you consider the implications are pretty close to permanent if you fail to remove them.

-Installing a Floating Hardwood Floor

1.Place your first panel in the corner with the ends with a cavity in them towards the walls.

2.Put a little bit of glue in the cavity of the next panel.

3.Attach the next panel to the first panel quickly after step two.

4.You may need to work with the rubber mallet gently to ensure that the two panels come together snuggly. If the wall gets in the way of the rubber mallet, you can use your claw hammer to nudge it in place.

5.Continue this until you get to the end of the row where you will need to mark off the excess length of your last panel with the carpenter's crayon. Then cut the panel to fit using the circular saw.

6.Use the remaining piece of the panel to start the next row of hardwood.

7.If you are using the glue, as in step two, you'll need to be careful to get the entire adhesive off of each row as you complete it or it may do permanent damage to the hardwood surface.

8.Make sure you fit your entire pieces well, especially the last corner piece. If you have fit everything together just right, your floor will be much more stable. And, it will look better after the next step.

9.Now you go around all of the room walls and place the wall strips. You should nail these strips to the wall and to the floor. This will stabilize your floor. This will also make the edges of your new floor look better.

-How to Install Floating Hardwood Floor - Clean Up

As with any big woodworking project, you can expect to have a mess as you go. There are such debris as saw dust, cut splinters, glue spots, and more. While you were trying to clean as you went, you should really do a final inspection and cleaning at the completion of the project. You don't want any saw dust or wood chips scraping across your new floor before you even get to admire its smooth shine.

After your floor has had a day to settle you can clean it with a mildly wet mop to get everything else up that you might have missed. You need to dry the floor up right away after mopping, of course. Otherwise, your wood will swell and lumps will form.

-Hindsight Tips for Installing Your Floating Hardwood Floor

You do not need to be terribly careful with the cushioning sheets. Don't spend all day trying to get exact measurements. As long as there are no major overlaps or separations between them, your floor should be just fine.

When you are working with your hardwood panels, it is important not to rush. You should not be moving on and placing another panel until the current panel is completely and firmly connected to the other panels. But be very careful when using the rubber mallet and other tools on the panels not to cause surface damage.

The surfaces are quite fragile when they are not yet anchored in place. It is very hard to go back and fix later if you missed a panel early in the installation process.

Be careful when measuring your panels for cutting at the end of the row that you are marking off the right part of your panel for cutting. One of the most common mistakes is to have the panel backwards while measuring it and then end up with the wrong pieces being the lengths you need. Save yourself some time and be careful.

-Feeling Good after You Install Your Floating Hardwood Floor

You have saved a lot of money by installing a floating hardwood floor yourself. And, if you don't like it, you've chosen one of the easiest hardwood floors to replace. But, of course you like it.

Hardwood floors look great. And, your new floating hardwood floor feels great too with its cushioning surface. Your neighbor's glued down floor may not creak much, but your neighbor's feet don't feel like they're floating when he walks on his floor.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/instructions-on-how-to-install-floating-hardwood-floor-panels-326211.html

Instructions On How To Install Floating Hardwood Floor Panels

Have you ever wondered how to install hardwood floor panels to make your home beautiful inside? There are many methods of installing hardwood flooring currently in use. One of the best do it yourself hardwood floors is the floating hardwood floor. The term floating doesn't refer to a floor that is sitting in liquid. Floating means that, while the floor is fastened to itself, it is not fastened down to the subsurface.

A floating hardwood floor has some disadvantages you should be aware of before proceeding with your installation. These floors will sometimes feel like you're walking on a bubble. And, each bubble you step on will have a creaky sound.

On the other hand, those bubbles give the floor a much softer feel than a well-fastened hardwood floor. And, the floating floor is much easier to maintain. Best of all, it is one of the cheapest types of hardwood floors to install.

Before continuing with the installation of a floating hardwood floor, we highly recommend that you consider using oak as your hardwood floor material. Oak looks beautiful and provides lasting durability.

-Tools Needed to Install a Floating Hardwood Floor

Broom and Dust Pan - It is important to keep everything clean as you go. It is particularly important to keep the saw dust out from under and between your panels where it can really throw things off kilter. If it gets in there, there is no way to get it out without the very difficult process of hardware floor disassembly.

Carpenter's Crayon - You'll have to cut up your panels to make them fit in the corners and make them go around objects that cannot be removed from the room having the hardwood floor installed. You may also want to use your carpenter's crayon to mark a layout pattern of where to place your flooring panels.

Circular Saw - Your saw is what you will use as you cut along the lines you drew with your carpenters crayon.

Claw hammer - In most places, you will use a rubber mallet to help push the boards together, but in those places near the wall where you don't have enough room to swing the mallet, you can use the claw hammer to fit them together.

Cushioning Surface - You can make your floating hardwood floor feel even softer to the feet with the use of a cushioning surface under the floor. You would be shocked by the difference between a floor with the surface and a floor without the surface if you could try the two side by side.

Cutter Knife - The cutter knife comes in handy in more places than you would expect as you work on your floor. But the main reason we recommend this tool is so that you can make minor cuts on the panel ends when you just can't quite make them fit together.

Glue - Floating hardwood floors aren't supposed to be glued together. However, you might find you get better results if you just put a bit of glue at the end of each panel as you connect them. Of course, this will mean you'll need to be very careful not to get any glue on your floor surface.

Nails - You will need to nail the floating floor to the wall strips. It may help to use a drill to do pilot holes to prevent the wood from splitting, but if you're a gambler, you can just hammer these nails in without pilot holes. Most people do that anyways.

Rubber Mallet - The rubber mallet is what you use to fit the panels together at the joints. However, you need to be very careful not to hit the panels too hard and damage the panel surfaces.

-Preparing to Install Floating Hardwood Floor Panels

Before you install your floating hardwood floor panels, you need to get your cushioning sheet installed. You can use your cutter knife to make it fit. Some people find that making it into many small pieces is much more manageable than trying to fit a large piece in the room. These pieces should be laid in the same direction as your panel rows.

One of the nice parts of using a cushioning sheet is that debris on the sheet or lumps in the surface below it have a less dramatic effect on the floor. However, you should still try to get all of these straightened out to the extent you can see them.

For debris, just use your broom and dust pan to remove them. It's not such a big of a one-time task when you consider the implications are pretty close to permanent if you fail to remove them.

-Installing a Floating Hardwood Floor

1.Place your first panel in the corner with the ends with a cavity in them towards the walls.

2.Put a little bit of glue in the cavity of the next panel.

3.Attach the next panel to the first panel quickly after step two.

4.You may need to work with the rubber mallet gently to ensure that the two panels come together snuggly. If the wall gets in the way of the rubber mallet, you can use your claw hammer to nudge it in place.

5.Continue this until you get to the end of the row where you will need to mark off the excess length of your last panel with the carpenter's crayon. Then cut the panel to fit using the circular saw.

6.Use the remaining piece of the panel to start the next row of hardwood.

7.If you are using the glue, as in step two, you'll need to be careful to get the entire adhesive off of each row as you complete it or it may do permanent damage to the hardwood surface.

8.Make sure you fit your entire pieces well, especially the last corner piece. If you have fit everything together just right, your floor will be much more stable. And, it will look better after the next step.

9.Now you go around all of the room walls and place the wall strips. You should nail these strips to the wall and to the floor. This will stabilize your floor. This will also make the edges of your new floor look better.

-How to Install Floating Hardwood Floor - Clean Up

As with any big woodworking project, you can expect to have a mess as you go. There are such debris as saw dust, cut splinters, glue spots, and more. While you were trying to clean as you went, you should really do a final inspection and cleaning at the completion of the project. You don't want any saw dust or wood chips scraping across your new floor before you even get to admire its smooth shine.

After your floor has had a day to settle you can clean it with a mildly wet mop to get everything else up that you might have missed. You need to dry the floor up right away after mopping, of course. Otherwise, your wood will swell and lumps will form.

-Hindsight Tips for Installing Your Floating Hardwood Floor

You do not need to be terribly careful with the cushioning sheets. Don't spend all day trying to get exact measurements. As long as there are no major overlaps or separations between them, your floor should be just fine.

When you are working with your hardwood panels, it is important not to rush. You should not be moving on and placing another panel until the current panel is completely and firmly connected to the other panels. But be very careful when using the rubber mallet and other tools on the panels not to cause surface damage.

The surfaces are quite fragile when they are not yet anchored in place. It is very hard to go back and fix later if you missed a panel early in the installation process.

Be careful when measuring your panels for cutting at the end of the row that you are marking off the right part of your panel for cutting. One of the most common mistakes is to have the panel backwards while measuring it and then end up with the wrong pieces being the lengths you need. Save yourself some time and be careful.

-Feeling Good after You Install Your Floating Hardwood Floor

You have saved a lot of money by installing a floating hardwood floor yourself. And, if you don't like it, you've chosen one of the easiest hardwood floors to replace. But, of course you like it.

Hardwood floors look great. And, your new floating hardwood floor feels great too with its cushioning surface. Your neighbor's glued down floor may not creak much, but your neighbor's feet don't feel like they're floating when he walks on his floor.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/instructions-on-how-to-install-floating-hardwood-floor-panels-326211.html

Scratching the Surface of Scratches in Hardwood Floor

There is nothing more strikingly beautiful than to walk into a room with hardwood floors. The floor can set the tone for the entire room. Scratches in hardwood floor can detract from this beauty. The solution to these scratches may be easier than you think and it does not have to require a throw rug to cover up the scratches.

Causes of Those Unsightly Scratches

Obviously the easiest way to treat scratches in hardwood floor is to avoid getting them in the first place. Dust and dirt can dull a hardwood floor's finish and cause small scratches. Sweep your floor regularly and use a dust mop to collect the particles instead of simply spreading them around. A canister vacuum is a good investment as well, but do not use an upright vacuum with beater bars on your hardwood floor because it can cause damage to the floor.

Know You're Finish before You Start

The first thing to consider when you repair scratches in hardwood floor is the type of finish on the floor. If the floor has a wax finish the scratch will penetrate all the way into the wood. A floor with a surface finish is recognizable because the scratch will not have penetrated into the wood. Always work from the outside in when repairing scratches in hardwood floor.

Scratches in hardwood floor with a wax finish require waxing the area thoroughly. For instance, heel marks can be repaired by rubbing a small amount of wax in with fine steel wool and hand buffing to beautiful shine. If the scratch is in a hardwood floor with a surface finish the repair requires a touch-up kit made for urethane finishes that can be purchased at your local wood flooring retailer.

The Area Rug Solution

Sometimes the only solution to scratches in hardwood floor may seem to be an appropriately placed area rug to cover the scratches. If this is the solution you choose, be sure to use a rug with a backing that is safe for your hardwood floor. Sometimes the rubber backing on area rugs can react with the floor finish and cause discoloring to the floor. Wet rugs can also be detrimental to hardwood floors. Remove a rug if it is wet or dirty and be sure the rug is clean and dry before you replace it.

Hardwood floors can be very beautiful and require just a minimal amount of care to keep them looking beautiful. If a hardwood floor is not cared for properly, the damage can be very expensive and laborious to repair. These simple solutions can keep help prevent or repair scratches in hardwood floor and keep your floor looking beautiful for many years.

In many cases, refinishing your hardwood floors will increase the value of your home, not to mention, adding a style and flair to your home decor while you're there

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_W_Smith

Engineered Hardwood Flooring - The Basics

Engineered hardwood flooring is more popular these days than natural hardwood flooring. This is because the construction of engineered hardwood flooring gives it qualities that natural hardwood flooring does not have. This allows engineered hardwood flooring to be less expensive and more resistant to moisture.

There are several differences in the construction of natural hardwood flooring and engineered hardwood flooring. Natural hardwood flooring is constructed entirely out of a piece of hardwood. The only hardwood used for engineered hardwood flooring is for the top layer. The possible types of hardwood that are used for engineered hardwood include oak, pine, ash, teak, and bamboo. The top layer allows engineered hardwood flooring to have the same visual beauty as natural hardwood flooring. There is a core layer that is glued to the bottom of the top layer. The core layer consists of layers of replenishable and affordable wood. These layers of wood might be medium-density or high-density fiberboard or plywood. The number of layers that are used for the core vary from one flooring manufacturer to another. Most flooring manufacturers will use three layers of wood in the core. However, there are several flooring manufacturers that are beginning to construct core layers that consist of five to seven layers of wood. They are adding more layers of wood to the core because the extra layers will make their engineered hardwood flooring more durable.

During extreme changes in the weather, natural hardwood flooring can expand and contract so much that it will buckle or warp. The core layer of an engineered hardwood floor gives it the ability to expand and contract without buckling or warping as natural hardwood flooring would. This means that engineered hardwood flooring is less affected by environmental conditions and can be installed in more areas than natural hardwood flooring. For example, unlike a natural hardwood floor, you can install an engineered hardwood floor in a humid or damp basement. An engineered hardwood floor can also be installed over radiant heating system without suffering any damage. If you install a natural hardwood floor over a radiant heating system, the natural hardwood floor could buckle, cup, or shrink.

Engineered hardwood flooring can be installed as a floating floor. This means that you can install an engineered hardwood floor on a surface without using glue or nails. A floating floor will allow you to have a floor that is free of gaps between the hardwood panels. But before you install the engineered hardwood floor, you have to place a vapor barrier between the surface and the floor. A tongue and groove locking system allows the engineered hardwood flooring to be installed as a floating floor. With this system, you can just click and lock the engineered hardwood planks together. This means that the engineered hardwood flooring can be installed very quickly. Also, if you are moving, you can easily take the hardwood planks apart and take it to your new home. This locking system also makes it pretty easy to replace any planks that are damaged.

The finish of engineered hardwood flooring is durable. An engineered hardwood floor will still look good even after years of heavy use. However, if it is necessary, engineered hardwood flooring can be refinished. But this is not a task that you should take on yourself. This is something that you should pay a professional to do. But each engineered hardwood floor can only be refinished a limited number of times before you destroy the top layer.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Flooring Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

Staining Hardwood Floors

Between hardwood floors and furniture pieces, the latter tend to be changed much more often. If you've had hardwood floors for a while, you know firsthand the design or aesthetic problems that come up whenever you change your furniture pieces. At one time, your furniture and hardwood floor matched visually. However, when you put in new furniture without really thinking about the color of your hardwood floor, that's when compatibility issues arise.

There is really no need to take out the entire hardwood floor just so it would match new furniture. Doing so is time-consuming and can get rather expensive, particularly if you tend to change or add new furniture pieces often. Staining is the better option. It's less costly to staining hardwood floors than to install completely new hardwood flooring.

Staining is actually one aspect of the hardwood refinishing process. To effectively stain hardwood floors, it should be done between buffing the floor and applying the finish. Staining is usually done not with the intention of changing the color of floors, but with the intention of enforcing their color. In this regard, staining hardwood floors is useful for bringing back a floor's color, which tends to gradually faded over time.

How stains penetrate depends on the type of woods. For instance, staining is much more effective on floors made from open-grained woods like ash, oak, pecan or walnut because stain colors for hardwood flooring of these types tend to penetrate deeper. Hardwood floors made from closed-grain woods like birch or maple tend to not stain as well. Thus, before you start a hardwood floor staining project, make sure you know the wood type of your floor so you can choose the right stain to use.

The right stain is based on the type of wood your floor is made of as well as what you want the floor to look like after the hardwood floor staining process. Do you just want to improve your floor's current color? If so, choose from among the many pigmented penetration sealer stains. These stains won't obscure your floor's natural wood grain. Are you looking to change the color of your hardwood floor? Then go with any of the oil-based pigmented stains available. These stains are known to accentuate the floor's grain patter. However, be aware that oil-based pigmented stains, if applied in excess, tend to shorten the life of wood.

Make sure that the floor is clean and clear before applying stain. It's a good idea to spend more time thoroughly cleaning the floor if you have just sanded and buffed it. Otherwise, you'll end up with different stain colors for hardwood flooring boards in one floor area. Instead of the boards absorbing the stain, the debris in and on the floor will absorb the stain.

When you're ready to stain your hardwood floors, you'll need the following materials: wood stain, clean rags and knee pads. Once you have all the materials you need, follow this 5-step process of staining hardwood floors:

1. Thoroughly clean the hardwood floor.

2. Ensure that the room you'll be working in is well-ventilated. Open up windows or turn on your vents. Stains emit harmful fumes.

3. Wear your knee pads when you stain your hardwood floor. It would be better to wear work clothes during staining. Wear long sleeve, pants and gloves to prevent the stain from coming in contact with your skin.

4. Apply stain on your hardwood floor section by section. After staining each section, wipe off excess stain with a clean rag. This speeds up the drying process.

5. When you have stained the entire floor area, let the stain dry overnight. The drying process may take longer if you applied too much stain, if the room has poor ventilation or if the temperature is too low.

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Hardwood Flooring Advice With Free Samples Delivered to UK

Nothing comes close to the warm, stunning finish that can be achieved with a hardwood floor. Each section of hardwood floor has a different grain which combines to form a unique look whenever it is used. A lifetime investment, hardwood floors are incredibly durable, stain resistant and do not trap dust so are especially good for allergy sufferers. By installing hardwood floors you can increase the value of your home and give it the edge over similar property on the market. There is a huge variety of hardwood floors available with many types of wood species, colours and widths available from hardwood flooring UK suppliers.

Hardwood flooring can be purchased in pre-finished or unfinished styles. For cheap hardwood flooring consider using unfinished hardwood flooring. Using a flooring supplier like UKCarpetsDirect is ideal as the offer free hardwood flooring samples delivered to the UK to help customers make the right choice. By lacquering and protecting the floor yourself you will save money. When laying unfinished hardwood flooring the product can be recoated several times to increase its life making it last considerably longer than carpets and laminate flooring. As the floor ages you can re-finish the floor and bring it back to life.

The biggest selling hardwood floor in Europe and the USA is Oak flooring with a vast majority being produced on the East coast of America. Oak is available in various species including White, Red and European oak, each with their own grain and colour characteristics. Cherry hardwood flooring is also popular due to its outstanding grain markings and solid composition. Over time cherry wood flooring darkens from a pale pink colour to warm dark red tone and like all hardwood floors it is highly resistant to damage. Exotic hardwood floors give a room a unique look are now readily available at major hardwood flooring UK suppliers alongside more traditional timbers.

Hardwood floor installation should begin with a flat, dry and solid sub floor. Deviations in level can be rectified with suitable floor filler. When using a wooden floor sub base the hardwood floor installation should be made at right angles to aid strength and stability. Carpet is not suitable and must be removed. Harwood flooring should be allowed time to acclimatise before it is set down by leaving the floorboards in the room for several days. A plastic membrane to stop moisture is recommended for hardwood floor installations in damp areas. A hardwood floor store will recommend to leave an expansion area around the perimeter of the room to allow for contractions and expansions of the hardwood floor. Expansion gaps can be covered with skirting boards or a cover strip.

Hardwood floors are extremely tough and with simple care and attention they can be kept in prime condition. Standing water can warp a floor so any spillages should be soaked up immediately. Any cleaning agents used should be pH neutral and specifically designed for hardwood floors as other cleaning agents can strip the finish from the floor. Where possible use the manufacturers recommended product which will compliment the flooring to the highest standards. Damp mopping is not recommended on hardwood floors which have a poor surface finish. Use doormats to keep gravel and dirt at bay which act as sandpaper and cause marks and scratches on your floor. Weekly sweeping and vacuuming will take care of any dirt that does settle on the floor and will reduce general wear. Dust mops are ideal for trapping dust. Only vacuum with a brush adapter and never use the beater bar which can cause dents in the floor. Better still use a vacuum specifically designed for hardwood floors. Avoid wearing stiletto heels on hardwood floors and if possible only wear indoor shoes or slippers on its surface. When moving furniture it should always be lifted and protective pads can be applied to furniture legs to prevent dents occurring.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/hardwood-flooring-advice-with-free-samples-delivered-to-uk-122026.html

Things to Consider on Hardwood Floor Wax

If you're lucky enough to own a hardwood floor, you probably want to do everything possible to help it stay beautiful. Using hardwood floor wax is a common way to do this. However, there are a few simple rules to follow and some instances where wax is a bad idea. In this article we'll look at those rules, as well as run though some waxing basics.

Is Wax Right for Your Floor?

Your floor's original finish, and the condition of that finish, determines whether or not waxing is right for you. Your floor was either finished with a coating, which sits atop the wood and acts as a barrier for dirt, or with a sealant, which penetrates and makes the wood itself more resistant to dirt. If your floor is very shiny (or used to be) then chances are a coating was used. If it appears more matte, it's likely to have been finished using a sealant.

Floors with shiny coatings are generally not suitable for hardwood floor wax. Instead, you should thoroughly clean and then buff the floor to renew the shine. If your floor is so old or damaged that clean and buffing don't work, then hardwood floor wax can provide a temporary renewal of the floor's shine and luster. Just keep in mind that eventually, you'll need to invest in a good refinishing.

Waxing Basics

Vacuum your floor thoroughly, sweep and mop before beginning to apply hardwood floor wax. After all, you're trying to improve the look of the floor, not make it worse by sealing in dirt and grime! Ensure that the floor has dried completely before moving on.

It's important to follow the direction on the wax precisely. If you're unsure about something, look it up on the internet or ask somebody at a home improvement store. These are general guidelines for hardwood floor wax, but each brand is different, and the manufacturer's directions will alert you to any special steps their particular brand requires.

You'll begin with a very thin coating of wax. If you can see thick gobs or streaks, you've applied too much. Let this first layer sink in, which can take from half an hour to an hour. You'll repeat this step until the floor can't absorb any more wax. Hardwood floor wax is designed to sink in and penetrate the wood, and so you're only done when the last layer won't sink in. When that happens, simply wipe it off, and leave the floor alone for at least a few hours (overnight is best) to dry completely.

Buffing comes next. A heavy-duty rented buffer is best for this, because the weight of the machine will actually make the job easier, no matter how bulky and cumbersome it might look. Buffing is going to bring out the shine. Follow the directions very carefully, since you're dealing with a large machine. When you're done, your floor should have a brilliant shine.

If the shine dulls over time, don't re-apply...simply buff the floor again. Hardwood floor wax can easily and economically extend the beauty of your floor for years to come, if applied and maintained properly.

Six Things To Remember About Your Hardwood Floors

"Installing hardwood floor instantly raises a house’s aesthetic value. It gives it a touch of elegance, glamour and sophistication --which is precisely why hardwood floor care is a matter not to be taken lightly. Wrong hardwood floor cleaning practices could damage and dramatically decrease your floor’s appeal.

To help you properly take care of your precious flooring, here is a short guide on the six things you should remember about your hardwood floors:

§ Water is not a friend of your floor.

Water and hardwood floors don’t mix. So when juice, wine or any other similar liquids gets spilled on your floor, be sure to wipe it off immediately with a dry and soft cloth. Water can harm your floor in two ways. First, it could considerably lessen the luster of your floor (which is probably the most attractive thing about it in the first place). Second, it could cause your floor to warp and change its shape.

§ Regular, careful cleaning is absolutely necessary

Dirt, dust and the other particles can serve as tiny abrasives. As such, while they could do nothing more than make your carpeted or ceramic-tiled floors, they can seriously damage hardwood.

It is therefore advised that you regularly clean your floor of dust and dirt using soft brooms, cloth and vacuum cleaners (remember to use the attachments made specifically for hardwood floors, though). It is also best if you put welcome mats near your home’s entrances so people could wipe their shoes before they enter your home.

§ It is best to leave major hardwood floor refinishing jobs to the professionals.

While you might fancy yourself to be the ultimate do-it-yourself man, it is best to leave major hardwood floor refinishing jobs to professionals with the right experience, training and tools. If you are having second thoughts about paying for professionals, then remember this: it’s cheaper to pay for professional refinishing services than to replace hardwood floors irreparably damaged by a botched do-it-yourself job.

§ Be careful with the cleaners you use.

Sometimes, even the best intentions could have adverse effects. If you think you’re doing your hardwood floor a favor by cleaning it vigorously using strong cleaners, well, you’re not. Cleaners like oil soaps can leave residues on your floor that will make it harder for you to apply maintenance coats later on.

When you clean your floors, it is best if you use cleaners that are made specifically for hardwood.

§ Unlike carpets and ceramics, hardwood scratches.

Unlike other types of flooring materials, is quite prone to scratches. So NEVER drag furniture and other heavy objects on your floor lest you want large, ugly markings to mar the smooth, shiny and flawless beauty of your floor.

§ Rugs are good.

The hard pounding of high-heeled and boot-clad feet can cause serious damage to your floor. To minimize shoes-induced damages, you can either prevent people from walking on your hardwood or, more realistically, you can put decorative rugs on the high-traffic areas (e.g. living room) in your home.

Your beautiful hardwood floor is the focal point of your home. Follow these steps to ensure that they remain so."

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5 Types Of Hardwood Floors Popular Today

There are types of hardwood floors that look good in virtually every type of room. Before choosing a type of hardwood floor to install in a room, you need to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the various types. There are currently five popular hardwood flooring types. When you know the hardwood flooring types that are popular today, you will be able to make a choice you will be happy with for years to come.

- Types of Hardwood floors: Prefinished

Prefinished hardwood floors have quickly become the most popular type of hardwood flooring. They are easy to buy and completely ready for installation. Purchasing is just a matter of finding a wood grain and finish that matches your home. In most cases, for installation, all you have to do is lay the floor panels down and make a few cuts to fit them as you reach the wall with each row of paneling. This is by far the easiest among the types of hardwood floors to install.

- Types of Hardwood Floors: Unfinished

When you put your floor together with unfinished hardwood, it is left to you to manually handle the finishing process. This means you will need to sand, buffer, stain, and coat the hardwood floor after you install it. This is a big time and labor disadvantage from the prefinished floor.

But there are reasons why you may prefer an unfinished hardwood floor installation. One of the best reasons for installing this type of floor is if you are planning on selling the building soon. You can then have the new tenants choose the color that matches their needs or desires before finishing the wood. If you install prefinished wood in such a scenario, you would face a choice of losing a customer or reinstalling the wood floor.

- Types of Hardwood Floors: Solid Wood

This was a popular hardwood floor type until recently. It is very hard to install and to remove. You can find the lumber for solid wood floors in the form of either parquet, plank, or strip. Strip is the easiest to install by far, but those looking for ease would do better with one of the other types of hardwood floors.

- Types of Hardwood Floors: Engineered Wood

Engineered wood is made out of multiple layers of veneer. These layers of wood are glued together with high quality glue. This design makes them very sturdy, as they benefit from the grains and features of each layer of veneer. Also, this allows you to use one wood at the surface to match your house, and higher quality woods make up the lower veneer layers.

For example, if you want a house full of birch furniture, you can have the surface layer of the floor made of birch, with sturdy oak layers supporting the floor. This combination would give you the durability of oak with the beauty of birch.

Engineered wood flooring can also handle a wider variety of climates. They are much more immune than the previously mentioned hardwood floor types to humidity, spills, and temperature extremes. This is why engineered wood floors are often recommended for basements where water is often prevalent.

- Types of Hardwood Floors: Acrylic Impregnated Wood

Acrylic impregnated wood floors are similar to prefinished floors, except that they are built with a special new process. The coloring and acrylic are put into the wood planks' pores under high pressure. The floor planks that result are very durable. These floors do not get as easily scratched as the other hardwood floor. They do really well in busy places and with frequent furniture moves. They are also much more resistant to climate extremes than the other types of hardwood floors.

Tag : hardwood,hardwood floors,cheap hardwood flooring

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The Shades and Colors of Hardwood Floor

You have a wide range of stain shades and colors for hardwood floors. You can depend on color charts for different colors but the colors on the surface still looks different from the colors printed on paper. In addition, a particular stain has different effect on different types of hardwood floors so it is best to consider hardwood species.

Moreover, stain also looks a bit different on newly installed wooden floor from on refinished flooring though the right sanding is helpful to have a better stain effect. It is recommended to try different kinds of stain colors on a certain sample of wood in order to get an idea of the result.

Hardwood floor has different kinds of shades and colors and some of the most popular stain choices are the following:

1.The natural stain of hardwood floor looks like bare wood.

2.Light shade is a popular hardwood floor shade since it adds a fine tone to the wood as well as it darkens the grain.

3.Another popular choice is the medium shade, which is darker than the light shade.

4.The dark shade is often very dark in color and has a rich feel.

5.Hardwood floor custom color is any color aside from brown, sand of tan.

Most people choose deep green or bright red that can give striking results. Usually, it is best to select a vibrant color when it comes to smaller rooms or areas.

When you find the shade that you want, make sure to try it in not noticeable places such as inside your closet. Make sure to let the stain dry before making a decision. Remember that the color of the paint tends to become lighter when it dries.

One of the most practical materials used for flooring is hardwood. Its protective finish can wear off especially in areas that are often used so it is necessary to refinish the hardwood floor. Dulled areas of hard wood that are hidden for a long time must be refinished in order to freshen up the hardwood floor.

Hardwood finishing job may be quite difficult and messy because you first need to remove the previous finish of the floor. If you do not have any experience in this field, it is best to hire a hardwood flooring professional who has the knowledge in refinishing floors. These hardwood floor professionals have the appropriate tools to do the job such as power sanders to eliminate the existing finish of the floor and to accept the new stain.

Make sure to do a refinish test to know if the hardwood flooring is dirty or shot. Here are the ways to do a flooring refinish test:

Focus on the high-traffic areas where the finish is more abused. Pour one tablespoon of water to the floor and if the water forms beads it means that, the floor is sealed properly. Usually, you need to cleaning and stain removal. On the other hand, if the water takes several minutes to be absorbed and leaves a slight dark mark on the floor it means that the finish is partly worn. You must not wait long to refinish your floor. In addition, if the water soaks right in and then leaves dark spot it means that you need to refinish the floor immediately.

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Hardwood Floor Maintenance Tips

Even though flooring material developments have become success and provide variety of choice of the materials available for home owners to choose from. But seem that most of home owners still appealed and attracted by the materials from natural. Moreover many of homeowners tend to choose the materials that are renewable for their decoration. Hardwood or solid wood is the material that we are going to described in this article. Hardwood is the material that popular among home owners because it is durable and easy to maintain. Apart form those; there are varieties of choice ranging from affordable to the most expensive. There are many types of hardwood that can be made to flooring material such as pines, maples teak, and mahogany etc. Today hardwood floor supplies have to compete with other type of synthetic materials such as vinyl, glass or metal in terms of easy to keep and maintain but if you give the proper method of maintenance so you will find that hardwood is something that can be your first choice without worry.

The way of daily maintenance your hardwood floor is really simple and it is not different from caring other flooring materials. By only using vacuum cleaner and slight damp mop daily to remove dirt and spills. In case for some area such as where there are only slight travelled area, that need special care and use of additional cleaning and protection agents such as wax and formulated wood cleaner. However, the method you will use to maintain your hardwood floor really depends on which kind of seal you have; penetrating seal or a surface seal. Both type of sealing need extra care and you have to follow the instructions from manufacturer so you can see which way will suitable for each type of wood to avoid make unexpected damage to your floor.

According the most distinct advantages of hardwood floor, which keep you room looks shine, welcomed, generate warm atmosphere as well as it looks luxurious and expensive. But in exchange, they need intensive care, so homeowners who decide to use hardwood floor need to invest amount of money on many of cleaning accessories to make your floor in good condition for years. There are two things that you have to pay extra attention, which is about substances that dangerous for wooden floor. Water and gritty dirt are the worst thing for wooden floor and you have to be very careful not allow them existing in your room. However, sometimes it is almost impossible not to have water in the room but incase water drops on the floor, you have to dry it immediately (by mop or dry clothe). Water can damage the wood texture, in some case of laminated wood floor, water will reduce the quality of glue inside the laminated wooed and damage. Using extremely wet mop or wet clothe to clean wood floor must also be avoided. So you may have to consider to use other flooring material in the area that will be risky of water drop such as kitchen and toilet, otherwise you probably have to be very careful if you have wooden floor in these area.

Is there really any information about hardwood floor that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another. Those of you not familiar with the latest on hardwood floor now have at least a basic understanding. But there's more to come.

Cherdkiat Taesookavat is an architect, providing information and directories about home decor, please visit Hardwood Floors

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Hardwood Flooring Options to Fit Your Lifestyle

Changing the flooring can change the entire feel of a room. As the foundation for the overall visual aesthetic of your room's makeup, you have to be sure that you get a style of floor that fits in with the image you are trying to create. There simply is no making up for the wrong kind of floor. If sophistication and traditional beauty is what you are after, hardwood flooring is a popular choice and always a safe bet.

Once you have decided on hardwood flooring, though, your choices have just begun. There are many ways to personalize your hardwood floor, from the type of wood to the finish applied, if any. Each room has a personality, and your floor should be a reflection of that personality. Every little aspect of the floor feeds into that and must be considered.

The first thing you have to consider is which kind of wood to use in your floor. Different types of wood have different grain patterns and different designs to them. Maple, for example, has a smaller grain and lighter patterns, perfect for an elegant formal dining room or study. Oak, on the other hand, has larger, broader grain patterns that give off more of a rustic, homey feel. Make sure to carefully consider grain patterns before selecting a type of wood, as they have a dramatic impact on your finished floor.

Once you have selected a wood, you will need to determine the shade. Darker shades are generally found in a more formal setting, while lighter shades tend to be more open and inviting.Also, do not forget that there is going to be furniture sharing the room with your new hardwood flooring. Selecting a shade that goes well with your existing furniture is absolutely essential, unless you plan on changing all of the furnishings to match your new floor.

After you have selected a wood and shade, you will need to decide how you would like the boards cut. Plank width and thickness have an effect on the finished look of your floor. Narrow boards, also called strip boards, are used to give a room a more contemporary feel. With the larger number of small boards fit into the floor, it also can create the illusion of a larger space.Wide boards, on the other hand, give the room an earthier, country feel. Accompanied by a light shade, wide boards can create a comforting atmosphere.

In addition to board size, you will need to choose an edge style for the floor as well. The edge of each board can either be flat or beveled depending on how you want the floor to look. Flat, square edges make for one continuous, solid floor space. This is the most common form of hardwood floor and provides a smooth, finished feel. Beveled edges will introduce a texture to your floor that will give it a sense of depth and have a three-dimensional effect. Bevels can also be specified to certain sizes.

The installation pattern will be your next decision, as the way your boards are laid out will have quite an effect on your floor's look. Straight patterns are the most commonly seen, and involve laying each board out in straight lines that are parallel and perpendicular to the walls. This can be modified slightly to a diagonal pattern, where the boards are laid out exactly the same way, only at a diagonal angle to the walls. Parquet and herringbone patterns are also available to those that want to shake up the look a bit.

Parquet patterns can be further customized, but essentially are repeating shapes laid out in the wood boards. Herringbone is a style in which the boards are placed in a zigzag shape, with each end forming a V with the next board.

The finish is the final touch that will complete your hardwood floor. Several options are available to coat your new floor and give it the look that you desire. A traditional oil finish is the same type of finish that has been used for centuries on hardwood surfaces. It will give your floor a deep, timeless look that will echo old European ballrooms and banquet halls. Brushing can also be done before oiling to remove splinters and give the floor a more even, finished look. Polyurethane finishes like lacquer and varnish can give your floor a mirror-like high polish.

Hardwood flooring is a great way to start any room, provided you take the time to select all the options that will make your floor reflect the atmosphere and style that you want out of your living space.

Tag : hardwood flooring,cheap hardwood flooring,hardwood floor,bruce hardwood

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Hardwood Floor Installation Guide

Installing a hardwood floor makes it secure. There are various methods to install a hardwood floor ranging from floating, staple down, and nail down to glue down.

First place to get the installation instructions is provided in the users manual provided by the manufacturer you purchased the hardwood floor from.
Read the manual carefully and make the best plan.

Floating is the easiest method for floor installation.

The first step in installing a hardwood floor is laying out an accurate reference line.

There are a number of tools you can use to simplify the process.

· Pneumatic Floor Stapler (rented)

· Air Compressor

· Power Miter Saw

· Pneumatic Finish Nailer

· Drill and Bits

· Table Saw (or Circular Saw)

· Basic Carpentry Tools

These tools are sure to simplify the entire process of hardwood floor installation process.
Some resources for your hardwood floor installation ease.

www.woodfloorsonline.com/techtalk/installfin.html

www.hammerzone.com/archives/

flooring/hardwood/wh_oak1/stapled.htm

www.nofma.org/installation.htm

doityourself.com/woodfloors/index.shtml

home.howstuffworks.com/hardwood-floor6.htm

Make sure you check these resources and hardwood floor installation is a cake-walk.
Also make sure you learn all about the hardwood floor cleaning tips.Installing is only half the job done,you have to constantly clean the floor and keep it scratch free. Use the tips I gave in the other article to learn more about how to make your hardwood floor dazzle.

Visit our site http://www.deluxehardwoodfloors.com to learn all about hardwood floors. From where to buy, how to install, and how to keep it clean.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abdul_Martin

Cleaning Floor Hardwood Protection

Purchasing hardwood flooring was the easy part. The next step, and probably the trickier part, is keeping your hardwood floors clean and protected. The key to success is to do a little….often! That’s right, constant and consistent care to your hardwood floors is the best remedy to keep them beautiful and long lasting. Setting a plan to protect and clean your hardwood floors should be the first step once you have your hardwood floors installed. Here are some good protection and cleaning steps you might want to add to your hardwood floor care plan.

Protecting Your Hardwood Floor

Protecting your hardwood floors is by far the best practice to adhere to in order to keep it around for years to come. Most often, “we” are the reason for the problems we experience with our hardwood floors, simply because we fail to take proper care of the floor. To ensure your hardwood floors remain damage free, follow the simple steps below.

1. Place doormats outside of all entries to your home in order to trap debris.

2. Place carpet rugs inside the entrances to your home to trap dirt, sand, and other particles brought into your home that makes it past the doormats.

3. Place carpet rugs around sink areas, work areas and high traffic areas to trap debris and protect your hardwood floors from spills.

4. Do not wear high heals on hard wood floors (or if you do, make sure the heals are not damaged)

5. Keep all pet nails trimmed to avoid small scratches on hardwood floor.

6. Use wood floor protector covers under the legs of all furniture

7. Never drag furniture across wood flooring. (place a small carpet rug underneath the legs to resist scratching your hardwood floor)

Cleaning Your Hardwood Floor

Cleaning your hardwood floors can be easy and effortless, as long as you are consistent. To ensure the beauty of your hardwood floors follow the below steps:

1. Sweep, dust, or vacuum your hardwood floors daily. Dirt or sand particles can easily scratch the hardwood floor. (FULLER Treated Dust Mop)

2. Vacuum any carpet rugs weekly so that dirt or debris is not trapped below the rugs, scratching your hardwood floors.

3. Clean your hardwood floors weekly with a cleaning agent designed for hardwood floors. (FULLER Wood Floor Cleaner and Polisher)

4. Wipe up any water or other liquids spilled on your hardwood floors immediately.

5. Never use water to clean your hardwood floors.

6. Never use products that contain wax on your hardwood floors.

When protecting and cleaning hardwood floors, always keep in mind the old saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Spending a little bit of time daily and weekly on your hardwood floors will result in you never having to experience the “big problems” found in neglecting hardwood floors. Set forth a plan, a good plan to protect and clean your hardwood floors and follow that routine. And remember, a little bit of effort goes a long way.

by Vincent Platania

Stanley Home Products

In business since 1931, Stanley Home Products has been offering families high-quality personal care and household products for 75 years. Stanley Home Products personal care and home cleaning products are environmentally friendly.
Visit http://www.stanley-home-products.com.

Author Vincent Platania represents Stanley Home Products. In business since 1931, Stanley Home Products has been offering families high-quality personal care and household products for 75 years. Stanley Home Products personal care and home cleaning products are environmentally friendly. Visit http://www.stanley-home-products.com.

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The Glue Down Method Of Installing Hardwood Flooring

The glue down method of laying hardwood floors is one of the original methods of installing hardwood flooring. If you want to learn the basics of how to install hardwood flooring using the glue down method, you've come to the right place.

Among do it yourself hardwood floors, those done with the glue down method can be the most stable and enduring. When you are installing hardwood flooring using the glue down method, you can rest assured that you are using a technique that has been time-tested.

- Tools Needed When Installing Hardwood Flooring

Square Notched Trowel - This trowel should have one quarter inch sides for the application of the glue.

Broom and Dust Pan - You'll want to constantly be cleaning up any saw dust that could get stuck under your floor panels or get stuck in your connecting joints. The last thing you need is a lumpy hardwood floor when you're done installing hardwood flooring.

Carpenter's Crayon - This is what you use to mark where you'll make your cuts on your panels. You'll also use this to mark up the surface where you'll be laying your panels. You'll want to keep this handy at all times because it is particularly important with the glue down method that everything be done very precisely.

Circular Saw - You'll use your circular saw to cut up panels as necessary. Additionally, you'll use your circular saw to score your substrate sheets every eight inches. This is important for the prevention of curling panels.

Glue - Many hardwood panel kits come with their own glue. If you need to buy glue for your hardwood panels, I highly recommend Bostik's Best Adhesive.

Lace Nails - You'll use these nails when connecting the panels to walls and wall strips.

Plywood Substrate Sheets - These are placed on top of the concrete and go underneath your hardwood floor.

Soft Cloths - You'll need these to clean up excess glue throughout the process of installing hardwood flooring. If the glue is allowed to set, it'll take extra measure to remove it. In some cases, it requires special chemicals and glue to remove glue once it has set. You'll also need your soft cloths to clean up after you've installed your hardwood floors.

Rubber Gloves - It's much better to glue the fingers of your gloves together than your own fingers together! Besides, many people don't like having dried glue on their hands for weeks after they finish installing hardwood flooring.

- Final Preparation for Installing Hardwood Flooring

When using the glue down method for installing hardwood flooring, it is absolutely essential that the surface where you will be placing your flooring panels is properly prepared.

You'll be attaching your flooring panels to this surface, so the floor must be smooth, dry, and as clean as possible to give your hardwood floor a solid support base. Be particularly careful to clean up anything that looks like it may be grease or oil, as your glue may not properly bond.

It's also very important that your sub floor be completely level and flat. If you notice any unevenness, get some patching cement from the hardware store to even the sub floor.

You also need to choose between one of the two methods of laying hardwood panels down with the glue down method. Your choices for installing hardwood flooring are the Walk On method or the Wet Lay method.

If you choose the Wet Lay method for installing hardwood flooring, you'll be putting glue across the substrate followed by placing the hardwood panel on top of the glue. After the glue starts to become tacky, you proceed to the next panel.

However, sometimes it is recommended for first time installers using the glue down method to place the next panels before the glue becomes tacky so that you can adjust your panels a few minutes later if they are not lined up properly.

The Walk On method of installing hardwood flooring requires precise panel laying. This process of installing hardwood flooring waits until the glue is very tacky and then lays the panel in the glue. This keeps you from getting glue smudges all over your panels as you go.

Experienced hardwood installers typically use the Walk On method because of the better finished results it can provide. Since you are reading instructions about how to install hardwood floors, we'll assume you're using the Wet Lay method.

- Instructions for Installing Hardwood Flooring

1. Place your substrate sheets, stretched across the foundation. Make sure that the surface is level, clean, and free of debris.

2. Get your glue warm. It should be slightly above room temperature or it will be very difficult to work with. If it's below room temperature, you'll find it impossible to work with your glue.

3. Use your square notched trowel to put glue in the starting corner of the room. Put enough to securely fasten the board, but ration your glue so that it'll be able to complete the entire hardwood flooring process.

If you had any doubt about whether you have enough glue, it would have been a good idea to buy more before you started gluing. You'll typically find that it takes an extra day to do the flooring when you run out of glue before you've finished.

4. Try to place your first wood panel straight down on the glue, secured into the corner. Since you are working with wet glue, place the panel as best you can at first so that you'll not be smearing the glue around as you adjust the panel's placement. If you had used the Walk On method, you wouldn't be able to move the panel at all only a few seconds after placement.

5. You can continue on as in the above steps with adding more panels until you reach the last panel, which shouldn't completely fit. Use your crayon to mark where to cut the board and your saw to make the cut.

6. Get your first row wedged in really tight so that it will provide a solid basis for your entire floor.

7. Before any of the glue dries, use a soft cloth to clean up any glue that may be sitting on the surface of your first row. The longer you wait to clean up the glue, the more difficult it will get to clean up the glue.

8. Hopefully you didn't mutilate the excess piece of panel you cut off to end the first row. That's going to be the panel you use to start the next row. This helps make sure your hardwood floor looks nice by having all of the panels offset.

9. If you're seeing any bubbles, hills, or slopes on the panels you've been laying, put a heavy, flat object on top of these sections to hold them down until the glue attaches them to the substrate.

10. Clean up again. Get all of that sawdust and glue out of there. A soft cloth with mineral spirits on it can be used to get glue you've missed that may be hardening. Clean the mineral spirits off quickly to avoid having them damage the floor. You should have a nice, new hardwood floor.

Hindsight Tips for Installing Hardwood Flooring:

- For best results, use plywood sheets to form your substrate.

- The thicker your substrate sheets are, the easier it is to compensate for leveling differences at the surface. But you should still try to get the surface as level as possible before laying your substrate sheets.

- If you have enough flat, heavy objects, place them on each new panel as you place the panel on the floor to help it get the best possible attachment to the substrate. Don't use anything that can damage the surface of your panels. If you have nothing else, you can always lay on the panels. Be careful not to get glue on top of them though.

Rest Assured That You Made a Good Choice Installing Hardwood Flooring

When you have your hardwood floor glued down, you are ready to experience a great sense of accomplishment. If you did a really good job of installing your hardwood flooring using the glue down method, you will not experience nearly as much creaky floor syndrome as you would with other methods of installation.

And for your sake, I really hope you followed the instructions carefully and picking out high quality flooring. This is because replacing a glued down hardwood floor is no task for amateurs. That is unless you've got destructive pleasure tendencies. You'll need some serious sledgehammer, crow bar, and circular saw work if you ever want to replace that glued down hardwood floor.

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