Many Choices Of Hardwood Floor Installation
Oftentimes, professional installers will install newly purchased hardwood floors. It is not an impossible job for a determined homeowner to tackle, but some thought should be given to the four main methods of hardwood floor installation. They require different levels of skill and different types of tools. The goal of all four methods is the same, however, to end up with a good looking floor that feels solid when walked across.
Generally, the four usual methods of attaching the hardwood to the sub flooring are nailing, stapling, gluing or floating. They require different skill levels and produce somewhat different results. Knowing your own limitations, understanding what each method involves and considering your priorities can help you make the choice that is best for you.
The nail down method involves nailing the hardwoods to the sub flooring, one nail every six to eight inches. It requires, not just a strong arms, but a strong back as well. Pneumatic nail guns can be of great assistance. The harder the species of wood being installed though, the more difficult getting the nail through in one shot becomes. This generally takes professional level skill.
A pneumatic stapler is used for the second method, stapling hardwoods. One of the most important qualities for success with this method is making sure that the sub flooring is in great condition. If not, the staples may loosen over time. Some people have noticed that the staples can create a floor that is too tightly bound to the sub floor, leading to a squeaky floor. Making sure the boards are straight so that the room is even when you are finished is very important if you try to staple a floor in yourself.
The third method is gluing. Generally, hardwoods are glued on concrete flooring when the building does not have a basement. This is the messiest type of installation and the most prone to failure. Reasons that gluing may not take include improper adhesive choice, incorrect amount of adhesive or insufficient preparation of the floor. For these reasons, it might be a good idea to leave gluing hardwood flooring to professional installers. Though when done correctly, glued down hardwoods will feel solid, quite like genuine plank flooring.
The simplest method of installing hardwood floors is called floating. The floors are not attached to the sub flooring at all. Some flooring is designed to snap together and float. Other floated floors are stuck together using an adhesive then laid in place. Though floating floors are designed to work over almost any kind of existing flooring, a mat is generally laid first for extra insulation and noise reduction.
One possible complaint about floating the hardwood floor is that homeowner does not get a solid feeling beneath their feet when walking on it. This is reduced when floors are glued down. Great nailing or stapling jobs create a very solid feeling underfoot. Gluing typically has the highest level of satisfaction.
The more elaborate the pattern of the flooring, such as herringbone or parquet, the more skill involved in the installation. Also, narrow boards are typically more labor intensive than wider planks, for obvious reasons. If you double the number of boards, you will double the amount of installation required. It is a good idea to think about what is involved when considering hardwood floor installation.
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Go to http://hardwoodfloortoronto.org for some information on the three main types of hardwood flooring as well as the advantages and disadvantages to each.
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