Hardwood Flooring Installation— Dos and Don’ts

Hardwood Flooring Installation— Dos and Don’ts

Who is there for you to catch you every time you fall? Before you take the philosophical trajectory to find an answer to this question, just look at your feet. It’s the floor. We build our houses with lots of love and dedication. Every part of the house reflects our tastes and personalities so we choose the materials that best define us. When it comes to the flooring, we want something which is sturdy, long-lasting, stylish and unique. Plus, as mentioned above, the flooring should always have our backs in case we fall. Hardwood flooring is the first thing that comes to mind when we think of something that combines fashion with antiquity. But, as wood is a natural product, we cannot alter its innate properties, especially the changes that occur when it is exposed to moisture. New innovations coupled with brilliant technology have offered us a wide range of flooring options that include hardwood, engineered wood and laminate flooring. But, the following things should be kept in mind while installing hardwood flooring:

 

 

 

Choose the Wooden Floor wisely

A good hardwood flooring showroom will offer you a number of hardwood flooring options. You can choose from among a variety of grain patterns, different species of wood and multiple surface finishes. Many factors influence your choice of flooring. These include spacing, busyness of the ‘area’ and subfloor. For example, if you want to cover the busy areas of your house like the kitchen or the living room, you need to look for more durable flooring options while you can explore elegant flooring options for relatively quieter rooms. It is important to choose the hardwood flooring that fits perfectly with your space.

 

 

Be aware of the ‘wood movement’

Wood has the tendency to expand if there is an increase in its moisture content(MC) and to contract if there is a fall in the MC. Hence, it is imperative to acclimatise the hardwood before installing it so that it can adapt to its new milieu. Even after you have acclimatised the wood, it can expand or contract according to the changes in the moisture levels which is why you need to leave an expansion gap of at least 10 mm

at the perimeter of the wooden flooring. These expansion gaps can be covered by flooring accessories like door bars, ramps, etc., after the hardwood flooring installation is complete.

 

 

Know your Subfloor

Subfloor is the layer underneath the finished flooring and is the foundation of a durable floor. It is important to make sure that the subfloor is clean, dry and uniform before installing hardwood flooring. Usually, plywood is considered as the best subfloor for hardwood flooring installation. But, even then, it is necessary to utilise moisture meters for wood to ensure that the plywood has stable moisture content. If you have concrete subfloor, a moisture test is equally important because the surface moisture level of the concrete slab does not reflect the internal moisture content of the whole slab. Thus, it is important to pay attention to the foundation of the floor to avoid flooring pitfalls.

 

Read the installation guidelines carefully

It is important to read the installation guidelines carefully to ensure proper installation of hardwood flooring. In certain scenarios, nailing the wooden boards is not the finest method to lay the floor. Wood glue or adhesive can be used in such scenarios. However, you need to have proper knowledge about the moisture content of your subfloor. Also, it is better to remove all the adhesive spots from the surface of the wood while the glue is still wet. You should let the adhesive dry completely before you move your stuff into that area.

 

 

Hardwood flooring can redefine your rooms. These floors look beautiful and add a natural touch to your space. So, keep the above points in mind while installing hardwood flooring in order to avoid the common wood-related issues.